Forbes Announces the World's 100 Most Influential Women
The Women of K-Pop Demon Hunters Ranked 100th on the List
K-Pop Demon Hunters Team and Female Stars Ranked 100th After Sparking a Global Phenomenon
Lee Boo-jin, President of Hotel Shilla, Ranks 90th; Choi Suyeon, CEO of Naver, Ranks 91st
The production team and female protagonists of the Netflix animated film "K-Pop Demon Hunters" have been named among the world's 100 most powerful women by Forbes in the United States. Among Korean business leaders, Lee Boo-jin, President of Hotel Shilla, and Choi Suyeon, CEO of Naver, were also included on the list.
Lee Boo-jin, President of Hotel Shilla, ranked 90th among the world's most influential women. Yonhap News
On December 10 (local time), Forbes in the United States announced its list of the "World's 100 Most Influential Women." The Women of K-Pop Demon Hunters made their debut at number 100. K-Pop Demon Hunters has truly become a cultural phenomenon that swept 2025. As of December, the film surpassed 325 million views, becoming the most popular movie in Netflix history. In August, the girl group became the first since Destiny's Child (2001) to top the Billboard Hot 100 with "Golden," sung by real-life artists EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Ray Ami. In November, it surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Maggie Kang, Recipient of the Order of Cultural Merit, Ranked Among the Top 100 Most Influential
Director Maggie Kang told Forbes, "I can't even remember the last time I felt this kind of excitement about any medium or content," adding, "It was truly a surreal experience to see an animated film resonate so powerfully across all generations and demographics." Sony producer Michelle Wong attributed the film's success to "a magical combination of all the elements," saying, "Without the music, the film would not have been this powerful, and conversely, without the story, the music would not have had the same impact."
Forbes stated, "Due to the current influence and future potential of this animation franchise, the women of K-Pop Demon Hunters jointly ranked 100th on the 2025 Forbes list of the World's 100 Most Influential Women." Previously, Director Maggie Kang was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit at the "2025 Korea Content Awards Ceremony" held on December 10 at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency.
Lee Boo-jin Nicknamed "Little Lee Kun-hee"... Choi Suyeon Praised as a Leading Professional CEO in Her 40s
Among Koreans, Lee Boo-jin, President of Hotel Shilla, ranked 90th. Forbes described her as "President and CEO of Hotel Shilla, one of Seoul's premier hotels and conference centers," and noted that "Hotel Shilla is also one of Korea's largest duty-free operators." It also mentioned that she has served as an advisor to the trading division of Samsung C&T (the de facto holding company controlled by her family) and that, as the daughter of the late Lee Kun-hee, former Chairman of Samsung Group, she inherited her father's wealth along with her mother Hong Ra-hee, her brother Lee Jae-yong, and her sister Lee Seo-hyun. Forbes particularly highlighted, "Korean media have nicknamed her 'Little Lee Kun-hee' for her exceptional business acumen."
Choi Suyeon, CEO of Naver, ranked 91st. Forbes introduced her as "the CEO of Naver, Korea's largest internet company, since 2022," adding, "She is the second female CEO in Naver's history and, at the time of her appointment at age 40, the youngest CEO who was not a founder." Forbes continued, "She began her career at Naver in 2005 in the marketing and PR department. After earning a law degree and working as a lawyer, she returned to Naver in 2019." The Naver board, in announcing her appointment as CEO, highly praised her problem-solving skills and "deep understanding" of the global market.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, ranked 3rd among the world's 100 most influential women. Photo by AP Yonhap News
Sanae Takaichi Becomes Japan's First Female Prime Minister, Jumps to Third Place
First place among the world's 100 most influential women went to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission (EU), followed by Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), in second place. Third place went to Sanae Takaichi, the only Japanese leader on the list. Forbes highly praised Takaichi for becoming Japan's first female prime minister. Forbes described her as a "staunch conservative" and explained that she cites Margaret Thatcher, the United Kingdom's first female prime minister known as the "Iron Lady," as her political role model. It also noted that she has held key positions in the increasingly right-leaning Liberal Democratic Party. Takaichi, as prime minister of the world's fourth-largest economy, faces challenges such as rising prices and stagnant wages. Fourth place went to Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, and fifth to Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico.
The world's 100 most influential women. From the left, the first place is Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission (EU), followed by Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB) in second place. In fourth place is Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, and in fifth place is Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico.
Notable names on the list include American pop star Taylor Swift (21st), renowned host and entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey (30th), and influencer and businesswoman Kim Kardashian (71st).
Forbes stated, "In 2025, despite the various setbacks faced by women around the world-including pandemic-level mass job losses, an increasingly toxic online 'manosphere,' and even a president who hurled farm animal insults at a female journalist-those who made the 2025 Forbes Power Women list stood as models of resilience in a time of turmoil."
100 Power Women, Including 17 Newcomers, Exert $37 Trillion in Economic Influence
Forbes particularly noted, "With her election as Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi became the first female leader of a nation with a $4 trillion GDP." It added, "Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated approximately $700 million to support America's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and AMD CEO Lisa Su signed a deal with OpenAI to produce 6 gigawatts of AI chips over the coming years-a transaction potentially worth tens of billions of dollars, with the potential to reshape the AI ecosystem." In addition, "Kim Kardashian, who has 350 million social media followers, partnered with Nike to launch 'NikeSkim,' and her brand was valued at $5 billion in 2025 and attracted investment."
Forbes stated, "This year, 100 women were selected, including 17 newcomers. Together, they wield a combined economic influence of $37 trillion and impact more than 1 billion people worldwide."
Forbes selects its rankings based on four main criteria: financial resources, media presence, social impact, and spheres of influence. For political leaders, GDP and population size were considered, while for business leaders, revenue, company value, and number of employees were key factors. Forbes also analyzed the media exposure of all candidates.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
