So Ji-sub tops K-Brand Index ad model ranking; G-Dragon 2nd amid BIGBANG world tour

So Ji-sub ranked first in the K-Brand Index advertising model category, Asia Brand Research Institute announced on August 28. G-Dragon came in second.

The index sifted through 1,018,813,635 online records from July 1 to July 31, 2026, tracking the top 30 most-searched individuals in the advertising model category on Korean portal sites. Top 10: So Ji-sub (1st), G-Dragon (2nd), Son Heung-min (3rd), Yoo Jae-seok (4th), Lim Young-woong (5th), Byeon Woo-seok (6th), Kim Go-eun (7th), Lee Dong-wook (8th), Kim Do-young (9th), Karina (10th).

So Ji-sub's win rides on the July finale of his starring drama Kim Bu-jang. The institute credits his trustworthiness and the show's strength for his dominance in premium automobile and outdoor advertising. G-Dragon is running BIGBANG's new album release and a large-scale world tour. The institute says he's successfully leading mega campaigns by global brands tied to BIGBANG's activity resumption.

Kim Do-young of KIA debuted in the top 10 this cycle, driven by rising public interest during the ongoing professional baseball home run king competition.

Han Jung-geun, CEO of Asia Brand Research Institute, said the index places actors, singers, and entertainers in a single ranking, making "topicality and expandability that attract attention" important variables alongside individual achievements. He added: "Exposure frequency and external activities acted as key keywords for ranking changes." The index essentially rewards whoever is loudest across the most platforms at once—which explains the cross-field mix.

Asia Brand Research Institute, established in 2016, annually presents the Korea K-Brand Awards based on big data evaluation figures for major companies and individuals. Detailed index breakdowns are available on the institute's official website and Instagram.