YouTuber Tzuyang / Captured from Youtube
With over 10 million subscribers, "mukbang" (eating broadcast) YouTuber Tzuyang has been named the most popular YouTuber among Koreans.
According to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from March 22 to April 5, involving 1,777 people aged 13 and older across the country, excluding Jeju Island, Tzuyang secured the top spot with 5.2 percent of the votes.
The top rankings were dominated by mukbang YouTubers like Tzuyang, Hamzy and Hibab, as well as travel YouTubers such as Kwaktube and Pani Bottle.
Following Tzuyang in the rankings were Kwaktube (4 percent), Hamzy (2.4 percent), Hibab (2.2 percent), Pani Bottle (2.1 percent), lecturer Kim Chang-ok (1.7 percent) and celebrity chef and entrepreneur Baek Jong-won (1.5 percent).
However, the rankings did not directly correlate with subscriber counts.
For example, Kim Chang-ok, with 1.4 million subscribers, ranked 6th, while short form creater Kimpro, who has the highest subscriber count among the top 10 with 41.1 million, ranked 10th.
Factors such as the distribution of domestic and international subscribers and media exposure appear to influence these rankings.
Favorite Korean singers and entertainers
In the category of favorite singers, trot singer Lim Young-woong took the top spot with 10.3 percent of the votes, followed by IU with 9.0 percent, and BTS with 4.9 percent.
The other top singers included girl group NewJeans (3.5 percent) and BLACKPINK (2.2 percent).
In the category of entertainers and comedians, Yoo Jae-suk received the highest support with 35 percent, followed by Shin Dong-yup (8 percent) and Kang Ho-dong (7 percent).
Top actors in film categories
In the TV talent category, actor Kim Soo-hyun, who recently garnered attention for his role in the tvN drama "Queen of Tears," took the top spot with 6.4 percent. He was followed by Namgoong Min and Kim Ji-won, both of whom shared the second spot with 2.9 percent.
For movie actors, Choi Min-sik, the lead in the film "Exhuma," which drew over 10 million viewers, was the most popular with 8.1 percent.
He was followed by Ma Dong-seok (7.1 percent), Song Kang-ho (7.0 percent), Lee Byung-hun (4.7 percent), Jung Woo-sung (4.2 percent), Lee Jung-jae and Hwang Jung-min (3.7 percent each).
These findings reflect the diverse interests of Korean audiences, with preferences spanning various genres and types of content.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.