[Im Young-woong Syndrome] 'Yeong-woong Era' Surpasses Yoo Jae-suk's Value

When Lim Young-woong Advertises, 'Sales Increase'
59 Weeks at Top of Idol Charts
Viewership Doubles After Music Show Appearance

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] "Lim Young-woong's value has surpassed Yoo Jae-suk, the highest-paid figure in the broadcasting industry."

The ‘Lim Young-woong phenomenon’ is striking the broadcasting and advertising industries. When he appears on a show, the viewership ratings soar vertically. When he acts as an advertising model, sales surge dramatically. Thanks to this, Lim Young-woong's value has skyrocketed. His fandom has already become a cultural phenomenon. The passion for Lim Young-woong is a source of economic added value.

According to the broadcasting industry on the 20th, Yoo Jae-suk, who receives the highest treatment in the industry, earns 10 to 15 million KRW per episode for terrestrial broadcasts and 20 to 25 million KRW per episode for general programming and cable channels. Lim Young-woong's appropriate appearance fee is virtually immeasurable. On December 26 last year, Lim Young-woong appeared without a fee on KBS 2TV’s solo show ‘We’re HERO Lim Young-woong,’ which recorded a viewership rating of 16.1% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide standard).

An advertising industry insider stated, "If it were possible to book him, all broadcasters and advertisers are paying attention to the extent that they would not hesitate to pay more than Yoo Jae-suk’s appearance fee."

Lim Young-woong, who gained fame through Mr. Trot in 2020, is actually a top star boasting a value in the hundreds of millions of KRW in the advertising industry. He has quickly emerged as a ‘blue chip’ in advertising by serving as a model for various brands and driving sales growth.

In 2020, Lim Young-woong swept various categories such as home appliances, chicken, coffee, cosmetics, and automobiles, reportedly generating 4 billion KRW in advertising revenue. In 2021, he was newly selected as a model for seven advertisements with an annual fee of about 400 million KRW each, attracting attention by receiving over 2.8 billion KRW in modeling fees.

Cheongho Nice, which has employed Lim Young-woong as a model for two consecutive years, recorded its highest-ever sales of 421 billion KRW last year, a 5.5% increase from the previous year. In particular, the flagship product ‘Espre Cafe’ continued its sales growth with a 255% increase in sales volume in the first quarter of this year.

SsangYong Motor, which formed a relationship with Lim Young-woong as his first-ever advertising model, also revealed that sales of the ‘G4 Rexton White Edition’ advertisement featuring him rose by more than 60%. The clothing brand Wellmade, worn by Lim Young-woong, was no exception. Shirts worn while singing the CM song performed by Lim Young-woong saw sales increase by 510% immediately after the advertisement.

Lim Young-woong’s influence has even shaken the ‘Idol Chart.’ He has ranked first in the Idol Chart rating rankings for 59 consecutive weeks.

The music broadcast market, which was virtually an idol-only stage, has also been reshaped by Lim Young-woong’s appearance. When Lim Young-woong appeared on music shows with the release of his first full album, the viewership ratings of those broadcasts doubled or more. According to Nielsen Korea, MBC’s ‘Show! Music Core’ aired on the 14th recorded a nationwide household rating of 0.9%. KBS 2TV’s ‘Music Bank’ aired on the 13th also recorded a 0.9% rating. Before Lim Young-woong’s appearance, the ratings for these two broadcasts hovered around 0.4%.

A broadcasting industry insider analyzed the rise in ratings as the ‘Lim Young-woong effect’ and evaluated it as "stronger than idols."