Actor Lee Byung-hun has been named Korea’s most influential movie actor of 2025, reclaiming the top position for the first time in 13 years.
On December 18, Gallup Korea released the results of its annual survey on the film actors who stood out the most this year. The survey was conducted from November 11 to 28, targeting 1,700 respondents aged 13 and older nationwide (excluding Jeju), who were asked to name up to two movie actors they felt had the strongest presence in 2025.
According to the results, Lee Byung-hun received 25.8% of the vote, securing first place. This marks his return to the top since 2012, highlighting a renewed peak in his long and diverse career.
Throughout 2025, Lee showcased remarkable range across multiple formats. He portrayed legendary Go player Cho Hun-hyun in the film The Match, based on a real-life story, and appeared as Man-soo in director Park Chan-wook’s film No Choice. Beyond live-action roles, Lee also lent his voice to Netflix’s animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters and the North America–released 3D animated film King of Kings. In addition, he continued to gain global attention through his role as the Front Man (Hwang In-ho) in Squid Game Season 3 on Netflix.
Coming in second place was Ma Dong-seok, who earned 18.4% of the vote. Ma remains a dominant force in Korean cinema, particularly through the long-running The Outlaws (Crime City) franchise. Since its debut in 2017, the series has expanded into a large-scale project planned for eight installments, with Ma not only starring as detective Ma Seok-do, but also participating as a planner, writer, and producer. Several entries in the series achieved blockbuster status, including multiple films surpassing 10 million admissions, solidifying his consistent popularity.
Lee Jung-jae ranked third with 15.5%, continuing his global momentum following the worldwide success of Squid Game. He was followed by Hwang Jung-min in fourth place, while Hyun Bin ranked fifth with 6.4%, drawing attention for his portrayal of Ahn Jung-geun in Harbin.
The remainder of the top ten featured some of Korea’s most recognizable names. Jo Jung-suk, lead of this year’s highest-grossing Korean film Zombie Daughter, placed sixth. Song Kang-ho followed in seventh, while Kim Go-eun and Son Ye-jin shared eighth place. Notably, Son Ye-jin returned to the big screen for the first time in seven years through No Choice. Veteran actor Choi Min-sik rounded out the list in tenth place.
The results reflect a year defined by both established legends and enduring box-office power, with Lee Byung-hun’s return to the top underscoring his lasting impact on Korean cinema.