Kim Soo Hyun to Lead the Next Hallyu Wave in Japan

The history of Hallyu has come a long way. In the early 2000s, Hallyu had a kick-start with Bae Yong Jun’s “Winter Sonata.” Following Bae Yong Jung were other mega Hallyu stars such as Lee Byung Hun, Jang Dong Gun, Won Bin, Song Seung Hun and Ryu Shi Won. Recently, a “Jang Geun Suk Syndrome” has been traveling around Japan, due to the hit drama, “You Are Beautiful.” And you can’t leave out the K-Pop explosion.

Korean stars are actively pursuing their careers in Japan in 2012 as well. Many are wondering who the next big Hallyu star will be. So a survey was conducted, asking people from various cities in Japan about who they think will be the next big Hallyu star.

Results showed that actor Kim Soo Hyun is receiving a lot of attention. Just as the mega hit drama, “The Moon that Embraces the Sun” enjoyed a viewership rating of over 40% in Korea, it is also receiving warm acclaim in Japan as well.

A source from Tower Records stated, “Kim Soo Hyun is newest big Korean star in Japan. Of course the number one Hallyu star of the moment is still Jang Geun Suk. But Kim Soo Hyun is garnering much attention from the Japanese fans through ‘The Moon that Embraces the Sun.’ Kim Soo Hyun’s charms have been widely received in the hearts of the Japanese female fans.”

Many Hallyu-based product stores report that they have received numerous orders for Kim Soo Hyun’s “The Moon that Embraces the Sun” products.

Aside from Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Seung Ki is also receiving a lot of popularity from Japanese female fans.

When it comes to K-Pop, the Tower Records source stated that EXO-K and SISTAR are seeing high popularity scores. The source said, “EXO-K has captivated the Japanese fans with their sexy and strong image. SISTAR is gaining attention from male fans for their sexiness. Fans say they see a different kind of sexiness from other Korean girl groups.”

Many from both Korea and Japan are greatly interested to see who will make it to the top as the next big Hallyu star.