Lee Young-ja Tops Brand Reputation Rankings, Surpassing Yoo Jae-suk
On April 5, 2025, the Korean Corporate Reputation Research Institute announced that comedian Lee Young-ja has claimed the top spot in the brand reputation rankings for entertainment personalities, surpassing the beloved 'Nation's MC' Yoo Jae-suk. The analysis revealed that Lee Young-ja ranked first, followed by Yoo Jae-suk in second place and Kang Ho-dong in third. Shin Dong-yup and Kim Jong-kook rounded out the top five.
According to Goo Chang-hwan, the director of the Korean Corporate Reputation Research Institute, Lee Young-ja's brand achieved the highest score in the April 2025 analysis. The total big data for entertainment personalities increased by 0.28% compared to March, with a total of 72,788,998 data points. A detailed breakdown showed a 22.95% decrease in brand consumption and a 14.36% drop in brand issues, while brand communication rose by 10.65% and brand spread increased by 1.70%.
Lee Young-ja's brand reputation was notably influenced by keywords such as 'confess,' 'invite,' and 'donate,' with a high positive sentiment ratio of 93.58%. The analysis highlighted that the public's interest in her recent activities, particularly her interactions with actor Hwang Dong-joo, played a significant role in her rise to the top.
The chemistry between Lee Young-ja and Hwang Dong-joo, who appeared together on the KBS show 'Old Meeting Pursuit' (오래된 만남 추구), has sparked considerable attention. Hwang Dong-joo openly expressed his long-standing admiration for Lee Young-ja, leading to ongoing speculation about their relationship.
Additionally, Hwang Dong-joo has made appearances on Lee Young-ja's personal YouTube channel and on her regular show, MBC's 'All-Seeing Companion' (전지적 참견 시점), further fueling the public's fascination with their dynamic. He affectionately calls her by her real name, 'Lee Yoo-mi,' referring to her as 'Yoo-mi noona,' which has led to fans supporting the 'Yoo-mi x Dong-joo' couple.
