The Korean Business Research Institute has released its September 2026 brand reputation rankings for dramas and drama actors. “A Bona Fide Killer” claimed the top spot among drama series with a brand reputation index of 5,233,155, while Gong Hyo Jin led the actor rankings with a score of 2,800,097. Song Kang topped the separate rising actor list with an index of 2,426,180. The rankings were determined through big data analysis of consumer participation, media coverage, interaction, and community awareness.
A Bona Fide Killer Tops Drama Rankings
“A Bona Fide Killer” secured first place among drama series for September 2026. The Korean Business Research Institute analyzed 21 popular dramas using big data collected from August 10 to September 10. The drama earned a brand reputation index of 5,233,155.
High-ranking phrases in the drama’s keyword analysis included “one shot, one kill,” “Kong Hyo Jin,” and “Jung Jun Won.” Its highest-ranking related terms were “punish,” “satisfying,” and “passionate acting.” The positivity-negativity analysis showed a score of 95.24 percent positive reactions.
“The show’s positivity-negativity analysis revealed a score of 95.24 percent positive reactions.” — Soompi
The drama aired its final episode on September 12 on MBC. It stars Gong Hyo Jin and Jung Jun Won in lead roles.
Our Happy Days And A Trap Called Desire Follow
“Our Happy Days” took second place among drama series with a brand reputation index of 4,712,721. The drama performed strongly in communication and viewership indexes. “A Trap Called Desire” came in third with a score of 3,352,346. The family melodrama drew attention for its intense plot and strong performances.
“Love on the Menu” ranked fourth with a brand reputation index of 2,936,191. The romantic comedy earned a steady following during its broadcast run. “Our Sticky Love” rounded out the top five with a score of 2,714,471.
The top 20 drama series for September 2026 are:
- A Bona Fide Killer
- Our Happy Days
- A Trap Called Desire
- Love on the Menu
- Our Sticky Love
- Four Hands, Two Sonatas
- Anna
- Family Register
- The Apartment Job
- The Affair Was Just the Beginning
- A Love Other Than Yours
- Mousetrap
- My Bias, My Boss
- Your Honor
- Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency
- Let’s Get Divorced
- Chaebol X Detective 2
- Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung
- Sabotage
- Father Is Sorry
Gong Hyo Jin Leads Actor Rankings
Gong Hyo Jin topped the drama actor brand reputation rankings for September 2026. The Korean Business Research Institute analyzed 55,580,237 pieces of brand big data from 50 actors who appeared in dramas airing from August 15 to September 15. Gong Hyo Jin earned a brand reputation index of 2,800,097.
Her index breakdown includes a participation index of 335,650, a media index of 418,772, a communication index of 1,777,265, and a community index of 268,410. The actor’s performance in “A Bona Fide Killer” drove much of the attention.
“Gong Hyo Jin has claimed the top spot in the brand reputation rankings for drama actors in September.” — Break News
Song Kang came in second with a brand reputation index of 2,120,872. His participation index was 556,113, media index 551,324, communication index 794,255, and community index 219,180. Song Kang currently stars in “Four Hands, Two Sonatas.”
Jung Jun Won ranked third with a brand reputation index of 2,086,970. His participation index was 317,374, media index 377,772, communication index 1,190,205, and community index 201,618. Jung Jun Won appeared in “A Bona Fide Killer” alongside Gong Hyo Jin.
Top 10 Drama Actors
The top 10 drama actors for September 2026 are:
- Gong Hyo Jin
- Song Kang
- Jung Jun Won
- Lee Jun Young
- Ha Seok Jin
- Kim Hye Soo
- Seo Kang Jun
- Jeon Hye Won
- Park Ji Hoon
- Jo Yeo Jeong
Lee Jun Young ranked fourth with a brand reputation index of 2,030,954. He stars in “Four Hands, Two Sonatas” and enlisted in the military on July 21. Ha Seok Jin came in fifth with a score of 1,956,338. He appears in the KBS weekend drama “Love Comes.”
Kim Hye Soo took sixth place, followed by Seo Kang Jun at seventh. Jeon Hye Won ranked eighth, Park Ji Hoon ninth, and Jo Yeo Jeong rounded out the top 10.
Song Kang Tops Rising Actor List
The Korean Business Research Institute also released a separate rising actor brand reputation ranking for September 2026. Song Kang topped this list with a brand reputation index of 2,426,180. The data for this ranking was collected from August 24 to September 24.
Seo Kang Jun came in second with an index of 2,236,329. He currently stars in “A Love Other Than Yours.” Jang Dong Yoon ranked third with a score of 2,059,221. Kim Jae Won took fourth place with an index of 1,910,622, and Gong Hyo Jin completed the top five with 1,863,886.
Other notable names in the rising actor top 10 include Kim Hye Soo at sixth, Lee Jun Young at seventh, Han So Hee at eighth, Go Youn Jung at ninth, and Son Ye Jin at tenth.
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How The Rankings Work
The Korean Business Research Institute measures brand reputation using a detailed algorithm. The process analyzes consumer behavior and classifies brand big data into participation value, communication value, media value, community value, and social value. Each category receives a weighted score.
For drama series, the institute also includes a viewership index. The analysis covers how consumers talk about a brand, where they talk about it, why they talk about it, and how much they talk about it. The brand reputation index shows positive and negative evaluations, media interest, consumer communication, community spread, and content popularity.
Big data for drama actors in September 2026 decreased by 40.99 percent compared to August 2026. The August figure was 94,218,667, while September dropped to 55,580,237.
For more updates on Korean drama rankings, actor brand reputation, and K-content news, keep reading VvipTimes.
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