Kim Soo Hyun lands at No. 4 of Pop culture’s Big 10
“Kim Soo Hyun effect”, even Peng Li Yuan (China’s First Lady) is also smitten by him
translated by Pechumori
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Moon Embracing the Sun - You who came from the stars…guaranteed 20 billion won fee per Chinese CF
Receives a superior superstar treatment than that given to Fan Bingbing, “a star raised by the agency”
Debuted with extreme vocal and acting chops, “will be at his peak next year, prior to enlistment”
In a survey conducted by the Hankook Ilbo (Korean Daily Report), actor Kim Soo Hyun (27), considered as “The foremost actor of the Hallyu Wave”, who appeared in the dramas, “Moon Embracing the Sun” (2012) and “You who came from the stars” (2014) that have captured the Chinese fans, has been evaluated as the 4th most influential personality in the entertainment industry. Now that the largest Hallyu market in Asia has moved into China and Japan, Kim Soo Hyun can guarantee commercial success for the Hallyu Wave. Although the group EXO is equally enjoying popularity in the 10-20 generation in Korea and China, Kim Soo Hyun is more remarkable because he does not rely on the strength of the agency, but rather on his own solid acting performance which has increased his value and deserves more attention.
He is not like Lee Soo Man, the founder of S.M. Entertainment nor Yang Hyun Suk, the CEO of YG Entertainment, but his name landing in the top five in a survey of the Big 10 personalities of pop culture means that the “Kim Soo Hyun effect” goes beyond the wildest imagination.
Kim Soo Hyun’s star quality is unrivaled in the sense that whether domestically, in China or in Japan, it encompasses both movies and dramas. After the “Moon Embracing the Sun”, he has made five consecutive hits in the movies and dramas that he has appeared in. As compared with young actors of his age like Lee Min Ho (28) and the most popular in Japan, Jang Geun Seuk (28), who has not been noticed domestically, Kim Soo Hyun has a solid commercial value. According to Kwon Mi Kyung, movie division Managing Director of CJ E & M, “As an actor, Kim Soo Hyun can raise his own power content based on his fandom that gives out an enthusiastic public interest on his movies” he added “Regardless of the genre, or zero casting”. Wong Dong Yeon, a representative of Rise Pictures, the producer of “Real” said “Kim Soo Hyun is the only actor who can guarantee a box office hit all over Korea, Japan and China”.
In particular, his commercial explosive power in Greater China is valued by the industry. According to officials managing Korean stars in China, the talent fee of Kim Soo Hyun per CF in China is about 11 million yuan (2 billion won). Kwong Yeong Mi, a representative of an entertainment agency in China said that “The CF fee of the most popular Chinese star, Fan Bingbing, which is considered the best treatment locally is at 1.5 billion won per CF.” Kim Ki Heon, an office director of the Korea Creative Content Agency in China said “It was surprising to see Kim Soo Hyun’s US ice cream ad in every train compartment of a high speed train that travels from Beijing to Shanghai” and “American companies in China said that the view from oversees is that Kim Soo Hyun is the hero of the Hallyu wave in terms of using a Korean actor as a model in an advertisement in China is concerned,”
KBS also benefited greatly from the “Kim Soo Hyun effect” in China. The Chinese National State newspaper published that starting last January, all the pre-export prices of Korean dramas fell below $ 80,000 per episode, however, the “Producers” was sold to China’s online streaming, Sohu.com at $ 200,000 per episode. An official said “In more than 15 years that Korean shows have entered China, the Chinese government has been taking control measures in the import regulations of Korean content, but Kim Soo-hyun is not included.” The view is that since many people are searching for it, it cannot be controlled by regulations.
Meanwhile a researcher from Hana Daetoo Securities Co. said that “Kim Soo Hyun’s expected earnings this year is about 36.5 billion won” and it is judged as “the best in the industry’s competitiveness”. Kim Soo Hyun’s earnings last year was 30 billion won because of “You who came from the stars”. Based on analysis, he is expected to earn more this year because of the sales of the “Producers” to overseas market such as China, shooting commercial ads and the movie “Real” in the second half of this year. The researcher is in the opinion that “Kim Soo Hyun will be at the peak of his earnings next year, since he will be enlisted in the next two years.”
The biggest challenge of Kim Soo Hyun is his enlistment. Shin Hyo Jung, a director from his agency, KeyEast said that “A famous U.S. studio director visited Korea to look for Kim Soo Hyun and conduct negotiations in China. He presented a blank check but the problem is Kim Soo Hyun’s enlistment. The post-discharge activities will not be difficult because he is considering working abroad and plans to expand in that area.” Also, one of the stumbling blocks for growth in China of Kim Soo Hyun’s dramas was that they did not get a chance to be aired on Chinese TV. The director added “Lee Young Ae was loved by all generations in China, because her drama, "Dae Jang Geum” (Jewel in the Palace) which was aired through China’s CCTV station all over the country. Becoming a larger-scale star in China is based on the method of content distribution" he said.
Kim Soo Hyun is not as “handsomely sculptured” as Jang Dong Gun or Won Bin nor does he have the glamour of young stars like Jang Geun Seuk or Lee Jun Ki. He does not stick with trendy youth dramas like other stars. After shooting to stardom with the historical drama “Moon Embracing the Sun”, from being the country bumpkin in “Dream High”, to the town’s fool in “Secretly Greatly”, the core of his success is his acting ability to digest these characters naturally. Kim Seung Wook, a Chorokbaem Media representative said “Compared with young actors of his age, Kim Soo Hyun has the outstanding ability to lead.” Kim Min-Soo CJ E & M casting team manager also said “Kim Soo Hyun may seem commonplace but he is incomparable with other actors of his age because of the variety of his performance spectrum and his ability to devote himself to the character.” He said “A new type of young star has floated with a seriousness for acting.”
In fact, the secret of the surprising success, of course, is just the acting ability . The foundation of his polished performance was his acting debut in theater. He learned to perform through Yonsei University’s Yonsei Theatrical Art Research Club. A Yonsei university student is allowed to join the club’s activities by having a passion for acting alone. Yonsei students who have been performing may eat and sleep in the institution’s club rooms. KeyEast director Shin Hyo Jung said, “When Kim Soo Hyun was young, he was just too shy and afraid of strangers. To improve his social life, his mother sent him to a private academy, to improve his speech, she sent him to an acting academy. He felt the appeal of acting at that time and joined the Yonsei Theatrical Art Research Club, then pursued this in college by majoring in Theater and Film Studies at the Chung-Ang University.”
After going to college for four years, Kim Soo Hyun entered the amateur theater company. He dreamt of becoming a stage actor and studied scripts like “Hamlet”. Broadcast critic Lee Seung Han cited Kim Soo Hyun’s “voice” as one of his advantages. He said “The works of Kim Soo Hyun in China are consumed by the video in its original sound (without dubbing) with Chinese subtitles. Though the language is foreign, but through his voice alone, the emotions are passed on to the audience. One excellent advantage of Kim Soo Hyun’s voice was that he came out from theater where his vocal training was polished extremely.
Kim Soo Hyun made his debut in the 2007 sitcom "Kimchi Cheese Smile” but he began to see the light in the 2010 drama “Will it snow for Christmas” after he showed exceptional presence as a child actor. Kim Soo Hyun was then recruited by Bae Yong Jun for his agency KeyEast. Keyeast representative, Yang Geun Hwan said “After watching the drama, Kim Soo Hyun keeps getting recognized because of his good voice.” He signed a contract and continued going to school. Choi Mun-Seok PD who directed “Will it snow for Christmas” and the youth drama “Jungle Fish” said “During the audition, I felt the urgency to cast him because I like his voice” he confided the basic foundation in casting an actor.
In this regard, there is much more to expect in the future, from Kim Soo Hyun as an actor. Broadening the challenge by playing a variety of roles, he does not limit himself to the gloss of popularity of a young star. By spreading the width of acting, there is a possibility of growing as an actor and jumping over like Choi Min Sik and Ha Jung Woo. And it seems that he knows for himself the direction that he must take. Kim Soo Hyun’s next target is a “villain”. His theory is that even if its not the lead role, if the work and the character portrayal pleases him, he will do it. After finishing “You Who came from the stars”, section chief Kim Min Soo was surprised upon being contacted by Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, who asked to inform them if there were any strong villain roles available. Choi PD said “at the time of Will it snow for Christmas, he lacked confidence in acting. Now through technical representation of his acting growth, his performance felt natural and authentic” and “thanks to his acting ability, in his adult life, after his discharge from the military, unlike most young stars, I look forward to seeing the middle aged actor, Kim Soo Hyun .”
credit: http://www.hankookilbo.com/v/2164b1def13a454e958603d12726f861
