Did you know that there is a word in Korean to describe men who are so good-looking that they're compared to flowers? This Korean word is "kkotminam".

'Kkotminam' (꽃미남) literally translates to "flower-like handsome man". It is a combination of 꽃 (kkot), meaning flower, and 미남 (minam), meaning handsome man. It is definitely a compliment and praise of a man's beauty.

Some popular Korean actors who are called 'kkotminam' include Lee JoonGi (the OG), Park BoGum, Song Kang, Ji ChangWook, Lee MinHo, and Song JoongKi, among others. Some idols who are called 'kkotminam' include ASTRO's Cha EunWoo, Ong SeongWu, NCT's HaeChan, TREASURE's JunKyu, RIIZE's WonBin, and ZEROBASEONE's Zhang Hao, among others.

You can use 'kkotminam' in a sentence (informally) as follows:

그 아이돌은 꽃미남이야

Geu aidol-eun kkotminam-iya

That idol is a kkotminam!

Who do you think is a kkotminam idol or actor? Tell us on X!

Stay tuned to Your Korea Tutor - Kpopmap to learn Korean in fun ways!

The 2024 Overseas Hallyu Survey results are out, and it is no surprise that once again, for the 11th year in a row, Lee MinHo has been picked as the most favored Hallyu star in the world! Find out more.

In case you didn't know, the Overseas Hallyu Survey is conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to determine the consumption and impact of Hallyu worldwide. The sample size of the survey is 25,000 people from 26 countries familiar with K-Content.

According to the report published by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Lee MinHo was picked as the top Hallyu star by 6.4% of respondents. He also ranked 1st in all 5 regions that were surveyed, that is, Asia/Pacific, the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Lee MinHo's popularity was recorded to be the highest in the Middle East, followed by Asia/Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and Europe.

Of course it is an incredible feat to maintain the top spot for 11 consecutive years but why exactly is the Lee MinHo craze so strong? Let's get into it!

 

Lee MinHo's Legacy

Before Hallyu ever became a mainstream cultural phenomenon, there was "Boys Over Flowers", paving the way. A large majority of international K-Drama fans started their Hallyu journey with "Boys Over Flowers", and it continues to be one of the very first K-Dramas the recent generations of fans watch or go back to for their daily dose of Lee MinHo.

As a result, over the last 5 years, global interest in "Boys Over Flowers" has spiked at least once almost every single year, mostly corresponding to one of Lee MinHo's works that were either airing at the time or were talked about in the news.

For instance, when "The King: Eternal Monarch" was airing in 2020 (April 17 – June 12), searches for "Boys Over Flowers" skyrocketed around May 17 to 23. Older fans could have been rewatching the classic and new fans may have seeked it out because they just couldn't get enough of Lee MinHo.

Similarly, around the time when Lee MinHo's appearance in "Pachinko" was all the buzz, alongside the Thai remake of "Boys Over Flowers" called "F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers", the K-Drama "Boys Over Flowers" started trending on Google searches once more (December 26, 2021 - Jan 1, 2022).

Unsurprisingly, as news about "Ask The Stars" started to spread, with speculations about the airing date, and so on, global interest in "Boys Over Flowers" spiked yet again (April 16 - 22, 2023)!

In other words, whenever Lee MinHo is in the spotlight, "Boys Over Flowers" draws attention, too, proving its timeless status and Lee MinHo's enduring impact. It is nothing but a fallacy to deny or undermine the influence of "Boys Over Flowers" on Hallyu, which continues to prove itself even today.

Now, the "Hallyu Star" category in the Overseas Hallyu Survey was created in 2014, when Lee MinHo had already started making a place for himself in global fans' hearts. However, this time, his popularity received new impetus from the international success of the K-Drama "The Heirs"—another blockbuster hit with record-breaking highs at the time of its release. As Hallyu had already crash-landed on the world, "The Heirs" was the perfect launching pad for Lee MinHo to shoot to global fame on a larger scale than ever before.

By topping up the success of "Boys Over Flowers" with K-Dramas like "Personal Taste", "City Hunter", "Faith" and "The Heirs", Lee MinHo showed the world that he wasn't a one-hit-wonder. He was destined to be a world star and he was only getting started. This consistency also translated to a stronger fan base and higher global interest in this new superstar from Korea.

Exactly one year after the conclusion of "The Heirs", in December 2014, Lee MinHo reached the highest peak in his career at the time. It was also in 2014 that the "Hallyu Star" category was established, and once he grabbed the top spot, there was no looking back. According to Google Trends, in the last 7 days, global interest in Lee MinHo reached a similar peak as back in 2014. This happened on April 13 (it has reached the same peak many times in previous years, too). So, the numbers suggest that Lee MinHo is currently at his peak once again. It is no surprise, therefore, that Lee MinHo is ruling the top spot in the Overseas Hallyu Survey's "Hallyu Star" category.

Notably, between 2014 to 2024, Lee MinHo has released 2 K-Dramas ("The Legend of the Blue Sea", "The King: Eternal Monarch"), 2 films ("Gangnam Blues", "Bounty Hunters"), 1 documentary ("DMZ, The Wild"), two promotional web series ("Summer Love" & "7 First Kisses"), and the Hollywood series "Pachinko".

As is obvious, Lee MinHo chose quality over quantity, and clearly, the actor has an eye for impactful projects. He outdid himself with each work, and Lee MinHo's success kept scaling unbelievable heights. According to an interview with "Harper's BAZAAR Singapore", Lee MinHo constantly attempts to bring out the "true identity" of his character in his works, which not only comes through to the audience as impressive but also amplifies the immersion of his works, creating a "fad" every time Lee MinHo is on screen. He embodies his characters with such charm and conviction that it is impossible not to fall in love!

Moreover, the actor's versatility is beyond comparison, and he never allows himself to be put in a box. Just when you think you've understood and can predict Lee MinHo's spectrum, he throws us a curveball we'd least expect. For a lot of fans, "Pachinko" was this curveball that started a new chapter in Lee MinHo's career.

 

Lee MinHo In His 30s

Lee MinHo entered his 30s as the King of the world. Everyone knew him and loved him, even worshipped him as their role model, an inspiration. However, Lee MinHo took his 30s as a time to experiment, expand and evolve.

Much like his title of "the King", Lee MinHo's first K-Drama in his 30s was "The King: Eternal Monarch", where he played Emperor Lee Gon. Truly, a royal role for a royal man. With this K-Drama, Lee MinHo reunited with "The Heirs" scriptwriter, the esteemed Kim EunSook, hoping to replicate their previous collaborative success, and needless to say, the result spoke for itself. "The King: Eternal Monarch" was one of the most popular TV shows on Netflix at the time of its airing and topped the chart in several countries around the world.

If we consider the current K-Drama landscape, in the past 90 days, "The King: Eternal Monarch" has surpassed "The Heirs" in global interest, meaning that more people are searching for "The King: Eternal Monarch" now than "The Heirs". "The King: Eternal Monarch" exceeded "The Heirs" and introduced a whole new generation of fans to this heartthrob, but little did they know that the star had a lot more up his sleeve.

For the first time in 10 years, Lee MinHo auditioned for a role, and that role was none other than Koh HanSu in "Pachinko". Debatably, Lee MinHo as Koh HanSu in "Pachinko" is the best performance of his acting career so far and one of the best from contemporary Korean actors right now, which says all that you need to know about his outstanding talent.

Notably, something had shifted in Lee MinHo when he entered his mid-30s. The actor felt a natural inclination to portray the "real" and with "Pachinko", he proved that he was just as much an actor for the real as he was for the fairytale.

Once I hit my mid-thirties, it feels like I'm now striving for what's 'real'. Otherwise, I can't agree, and that's why things are getting tougher. Whether it's the criteria for choosing scripts, the resulting videos, or even what I'm doing within them. If it's not genuine now, it's difficult. So, amidst a lot of contemplation, I was offered an audition for "Pachinko", and when I read the script, I felt certain. If it's this project, I can genuinely give it a try. I want to try it once.
Lee MinHo to "Esquire Korea"

The same actor who brought us the most heart-fluttering Prince Charming characters could also give us a heart-wrenchingly realistic, nuanced, and tragic anti-hero failed by history and burdened by survival and that is why he is the people's most beloved Korean actor of the decade.

I dig deeper into Koh HanSu and particularly, Lee MinHo's portrayal of the character in my "Character Sketch" article that you can read here.

 

What's Next?

I want to leave as many roles as I can in my 30s. My goal for this year is to work as much as I can.
Lee MinHo to "Harper's BAZAAR Singapore"

It's no surprise that the actor is booked and busy! With a new outlook on acting and a more mature perspective on the art he wants to create on-screen, Lee MinHo is gearing up for a grand 2024 with three upcoming works.

Firstly, we have "Ask The Stars", also known as "When The Stars Gossip", a space rom-com about the love story of space tourist Gong Ryong (Lee MinHo) and astronaut Eve Kim (Kong HyoJin), set in a space station. Then, we're getting the highly anticipated live-action adaptation film of the immensely popular web novel/webtoon "Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint", where Lee MinHo will be playing Yoo JungHyuk, one of the main protagonists of the story.

Both projects are reportedly unprecedented in scale and are definitely two of the most highly talked about upcoming Korean productions right now, with continually rising interest from global fans. As a matter of fact, searches for "Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint" in relation to Lee MinHo have gone up a whopping 350%! Talk about impact!

That's not all! Lee MinHo will be returning as Koh HanSu for "Pachinko - Season 2", much to the joy of fans worldwide.

We cannot wait to see what the world's favorite Hallyu star, Lee MinHo, has in store for us next!

 

A Fandom As Noble As The Artist

Finally, we come to one of the most crucial elements that contributed to Lee MinHo's overwhelming popularity across a decade - his relationship with his fans, MINOZ. It is not just the actor's talent, gorgeous visuals, towering physique, and impeccable style that has garnered him millions of fans from around the world. It is the person that he is, the human behind the artist, his kindness, humility, passion, resilience, and sincerity that have made us fall in love. However, what makes the Lee MinHo X MINOZ dynamic so special is how Lee MinHo draws inspiration and strength from his fans too. He loves them with all his heart and truly so. He cares for them and their stories as he shares his own, and they grow together. The man even made a whole singing career just for his fans!

Even now, whenever I make eye contact with my fans, I get good energy from them, am moved by them, and get a lump in my throat. Whenever I meet my fans for the first time, I hear the reasons why they became my fans, and listening to their stories is always amazing. For example, a fan from Japan told me how she became despondent after losing her husband. But she was comforted by watching my dramas and regained the will to live. So stories like these encourage me to become a better actor.
Lee MinHo to "Harper's BAZAAR Singapore"

To this day, the relationship between Lee MinHo and MINOZ has to be one of the most admirable artist-fan equations we've ever seen. This is a fandom that celebrates their actor's milestones by contributing to charity and donating to meaningful causes, echoing the values upheld by Lee MinHo himself.

Over the years, Lee MinHo has remained unshakably loyal to his commitment to philanthropy. From founding the award-winning donation platform "PROMIZ" in 2014 to give back to children, animals, and the environment, to executing numerous campaigns under the same, such as the "PROMIZ Gift Set Project", "Milk Mustache Project", "Safe Umbrella Project" and so on, Lee MinHo's dedication to creating a better tomorrow for all is unwavering.

In addition to contributing to PROMIZ and its various campaigns, there have been innumerable donation campaigns run independently by MINOZ worldwide, be that in honor of Lee MinHo's birthday, a new project, debut anniversaries, and so on and so forth.

Of course, the fandom showers the actor with their gifts and praises, too, but most importantly, they work together to make this world a better place for everyone to live in and love Lee MinHo. If that's not the most noble of intentions, we don't know what is!

As the fandom continues to grow, we hope more and more people will open up their hearts to heal and protect the world, bringing joy through sharing, much like their favorite star does.

Now, if we're talking numbers, we analyzed posts from across the internet and found that the hashtag for Lee MinHo's fandom - #MINOZ recorded a high of 3M in reach on March 21, 2024, which is a great measure of the buzz surrounding Lee MinHo's comeback.

Interestingly, when we conducted a sentiment analysis of the posts, the results returned a 100% positive sentiment, meaning netizens worldwide have nothing but a positive reaction to #MINOZ.

Now, that's what a wholesome fandom looks like!

Similarly, Lee MinHo's Instagram follower count keeps increasing, and the actor has gained 77,730 new followers in the last 30 days alone! With 35.1M followers on his Instagram (@actorleeminho) at the time of writing, Lee MinHo is the 2nd most followed Korean actor on Instagram. We're expecting this number to skyrocket again when the actor makes his much-awaited comeback.

Are you excited for Lee MinHo's comeback? Tell us on X!

Check out our analysis of Lee MinHo's legendary character Koh HanSu in "Pachinko".