EXO Chosen as Most Influential Celebrity by Forbes Korea, Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Yuna Are Close Second and Third

Boy band EXO was selected by business magazine Forbes Korea as the most influential celebrity of 2015.

Since 2009, Forbes Korea had published “Korea Power Celebrity 40,” a list that ranks influential celebrities of Korea. The first 150 candidates for this year’s list were selected based on search engine hits on portal site Daum Kakao in 2014. From the 150, top 40 were culled on the basis of four main criteria: income, media coverage, television appearances, and expertise.

The top ten of this year’s “Korea Power Celebrity 40” is:

1. Boy group EXO

2. Actor Kim Soo Hyun

3. Figure skater Kim Yuna

4. Actress Jun Ji Hyun

5. Gymnast Son Yeo Jae

6. Actor Lee Seung Gi

7. Baseball player Ryu Hyun Jin

8. Soccer player Son Heung Min

9. Girl group Girls’ Generation

10. Girl group SISTAR

EXO first appeared on “Korea Power Celebrity 40” last year at an impressive fifth place. In just one year, the relatively young group, being only three years into their debut, leapt to first place in the overall ranking. EXO is also the only celebrity to rank in the top 10 for each of the sub-categories (income, media, television, and expertise) this year.

Congratulations, EXO!