The It-Kids of South Korea

It-Kids is a series in which Vogue Business spotlights the up-and-coming global talent brands need to know, in partnership with Launchmetrics and global Vogue editions.

Luxury fashion is no stranger to South Korean talent. Brands from Louis Vuitton to Dior to Chanel boast a strong roster of K-pop brand ambassadors, and each fashion month, local talent comes out in force. South Korea is among the three regions that dominated Fall/Winter 2026’s top 10 talents by earned media value (EMV), continuing the trend of seasons past.

“South Korean ambassadors have become some of the most reliable value drivers in fashion, lifestyle and beauty,” says Launchmetrics CMO Alison Bringé. “Their celebrities and influencers don’t just generate coverage, they mobilize global communities that turn a single appearance or post into measurable impact across markets.”

To date, international luxury brands have focused primarily on K-pop stars, given their massive influence. For actors in the region, the trajectory tends to be more gradual, says Hyewon Hwang, web editor at Vogue Korea. “They build their filmography step-by-step, gain solid recognition, and then — once they land a massive breakout hit and gain public affection — leverage that stable foundation to secure major ambassadorships.”

2026 is set to be a big year for Korean film and television; in January, Netflix announced a slate of 33 South Korean series and films set to air throughout the year. Shows including Teach You a Lesson, Can This Love Be Translated? and The Art of Sarah topped Netflix’s latest K-drama engagement report, all with over 20 million views in the first half of the year. The stars in these shows and films are poised for global growth. “What’s coming next is even stronger,” Bringé says. “The newer generation of Korean talent is digitally native and globally connected from day one, which means the return brands see from these partnerships is only compounding.”

One factor for brands to consider is South Korea’s mandatory military service, experts flag. For this reason, male actors often secure ambassadorships after completing their service, which is typically mandated by age 28, though extensions can be granted to 30. In some cases, however, it can be worth aligning with talent ahead of their conscription, in order to beat the scramble once these actors are back and busy.

Another is the sheer starpower of K-pop idols like the members of BTS and Blackpink. At times, Korean appeal is so large that it can eclipse the brand’s own; just look at the fan frenzies outside fashion shows that, at times, prevent attendees from accessing the entrance. This next generation of talent provides an in for luxury brands who are keen to generate loyalty and sales, not just celebrity fervor, through their Korean brand ambassadors. The talent on this list is by no means small-scale — their followings are still in the millions. But they’re well-placed to share attention with the brands they’re advocating for.

Here’s a list of some of the fastest-growing South Korean names, based on their social media followings, content and reach, per Launchmetrics’s growth and Voice Echo analysis, as well as global Vogue editorial consultations.

Actor Moon Sang-min is known for his roles in films including Under the Queen’s Umbrella and To My Beloved Thief, having won Best New Actor for the former at the Baeksang Arts Awards in 2023. Netflix’s Pave debuted in February 2026, before ranking seventh globally among the platform’s non-English films and broadening Sang-min’s reach beyond South Korea. He’s set to star in the forthcoming Disney+ series The Miracle of the Namiya General Store, slated for 2027 release. Brands should get in before this propels the actor even further into the mainstream.

Known for: Under the Queen’s Umbrella, Wedding Impossible, To My Beloved Thief

Brand affiliations: Estée Lauder — $1.1 million in MIV (618,000 from direct impact; $489,000 from indirect echo)

Q1 2026 average MIV/post (Instagram): $235,000

Choo Young Woo is a Korean actor predominantly known for his roles in a host of South Korean TV shows, after debuting in web series You Make Me Dance in 2021. In 2025, he made his film debut in Even If This Love Disappears From the World Tonight. This year, he’s set to star in the upcoming K-drama Love Doctor, and is currently filming Netflix’s Long Vacation — 2027 is shaping up to be a big one.

Known for: Oasis, Head Over Heels, The Tale of Lady Ok, The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call

Brand affiliations: Columbia — $769,000 in MIV ($371,000 from direct impact; $398,000 from indirect echo)

Q1 2026 average MIV/placement (Instagram): $414,000

Roh Jeong Eui got her start as a child actor, before appearing in many K-dramas throughout her youth. More recently, she played twins on TV show Drama Stage, and appeared in films including Phantom Detective and The Day I Died: Unclosed Case. Recently, the actor starred in Netflix series Hierarchy, which ranked second in the platform’s top 10 non-English TV category within just three days of release.

Known for: Phantom Detective, Badland Hunters, Hierarchy

Brand affiliations: Dior — $3.3 million in MIV for Dior ($445,000 from direct impact; $2.9 million from indirect echo); Burberry

Q1 2026 average MIV/placement (Instagram): $238,000

Park Ji-hu also got her start as a child actor. She had her true breakout role in indie film House of Hummingbird, for which she was awarded Best Actress at Tribeca Film Festival. International acclaim then came in 2022, following Ji-hu’s role on Netflix’s All of Us Are Dead 2.

Known for: House of Hummingbird, All of Us Are Dead 2, Little Women

Brand affiliations: Prada — $1 million in MIV ($1 million from direct impact; $3,000 from indirect echo); Longchamp — $315,000 in MIV ($278,000 from direct impact; with $37,000 from indirect echo)

Q1 2026 average MIV/placement (Instagram): $373,000

Cho Yi Hyun broke onto the scene in 2017 and has fast gained popularity as an exciting up-and-comer. She’s best known for her roles in All of Us Are Dead and Hospital Playlist. Yi Hyun was tapped as a Reebok ambassador early on, back in 2023, and featured in the brand’s Vector 93 summer collection campaign. She appeared in Dazed Korea in May.

Known for: Hospital Playlist, All of Us Are Dead, Head Over Heels

Brand affiliations: Miu Miu — $389,000 in MIV ($382,000 from direct impact; $8,000 from indirect echo); Reebok

Q1 2026 average MIV/placement (Instagram): $417,000

Roh Yoon-seo got her start modeling before breaking into acting in 2022. She also graduated from Ewha Womans University with a degree in Fine Arts in 2023. Yoon-seo is best known for series including Our Blues and Crash Course in Romance, as well as 20th Century Girl and Hear Me: Our Summer. Yoon-seo is the only figure on this list who is already a luxury brand ambassador; Balenciaga tapped the actor in February 2026, under Pierpaolo Piccioli. She was also Dazed Korea’s July digital cover star.

Known for: Our Blues, Crash Course in Romance, 20th Century Girl, Hear Me: Our Summer, being a Balenciaga girl