Top 3 Korean Actresses in August 2025: Brand Rankings, Drama Ratings, and Award Nominations

Top 3 Korean actresses of August 2025—Cho Yi-hyun, Moon Ga-young, and Park Bo-young.
Ranked by brand reputation, drama ratings, and award nominations.
See who shined the brightest this month.

August 2025 turned into a spotlight month for Korean actresses. The Korean Business Research Institute analyzed more than 60 million data points—covering media exposure, participation, interactions, and community activity—to determine the brand reputation of Korean drama actors from July 13 to August 13. The results revealed which stars had the biggest presence throughout the month. At the same time, Nielsen Korea released the final episode ratings of several ongoing dramas, while the 16th Korea Drama Awards announced its acting category nominations. Based on these quantitative data—rankings, reputation index, viewer ratings, and award nods—we highlight three actresses who shined the brightest in August 2025.

1. Cho Yi-hyun – The Brightest Star in Head Over Heels

Cho Yi-hyun completely dominated August 2025 thanks to her role as Park Seong-ah in Head Over Heels. The 12-episode tvN and Amazon Prime series (aired June 23–July 29, 2025) tells the story of a high school student who becomes a shaman and falls in love with transfer student Bae Gyeon-woo—whose fate predicts he will only live for 21 days. The mix of teen romance, comedy, and fantasy catapulted the drama to #1 on the list of 21 most popular dramas in August, with a brand reputation index of 5,949,365. Its finale recorded a nationwide average rating of 4.9% according to Nielsen Korea—an impressive figure for a cable drama.

This success sparked a domino effect: Cho Yi-hyun rose to #4 in the ranking of 50 most popular drama actors. Online discussions buzzed with keywords like “Choo Young Woo,” “Jo Yi Hyun,” and “OST,” reflecting how the drama’s popularity boosted her name even further. Adding to her momentum, she was nominated for the Hot Star Award (Female) at the 16th Korea Drama Awards. With brand reputation data, Nielsen ratings, actor rankings, and award recognition, Cho Yi-hyun stands as the clear #1 actress of August 2025.

2. Moon Ga-young – The Idealistic Advocate in Law and the City

Law and the City explores the lives of five lawyers in Seocho Judicial Town. The 12-episode series aired on tvN from July 5 to August 10, 2025, and is available on Disney+ and Viki. Moon Ga-young played Kang Hee-ji, a second-year lawyer who believes that “changing one person’s life means changing their world.” She navigates the harsh legal system while holding on to her ideals, and viewers praised her ability to balance both professional sharpness and emotional depth.

From a data perspective, the drama ranked #3 among the 21 most reputable dramas of August. Moon Ga-young herself landed at #5 in the brand reputation ranking of Korean drama actors. What’s notable is that this high position came without extraordinary Nielsen ratings—proving the powerful impact of brand reputation, public interaction, and participation, as measured by the Korean Business Research Institute. Thanks to her performance and consistency, Moon Ga-young became one of the most talked-about actresses throughout August 2025.

3. Park Bo-young – Dual Roles in Our Unwritten Seoul

Veteran actress Park Bo-young showcased her skill in Our Unwritten Seoul, a tvN drama that aired May 24–June 29, 2025, and is now available on Netflix. She portrayed identical twin sisters Yoo Mi-ji and Yoo Mi-rae: Mi-ji, a former runner caring for her grandmother in the countryside, and Mi-rae, an ambitious office worker in Seoul who experiences workplace bullying. Afterward, the twins switch lives. The dual role required Park to deliver two contrasting characters—something she pulled off with finesse.

Even though the drama ended in June, Our Unwritten Seoul still ranked #15 on August’s brand reputation drama chart. Park Bo-young herself captured media attention for earning a Best Actress nomination at the 16th Korea Drama Awards, alongside a Hot Star Award (Female) nomination. These data points highlight her lasting influence, even if she wasn’t in the overall top five rankings. The drama’s themes of workplace harassment, the urban-rural divide, and the struggles of young women in their careers further amplified her resonance throughout August.

Conclusion

Considering the numbers—from brand reputation rankings and indexes, to Nielsen ratings and award nominations—these three actresses stood as the strongest faces of the Korean drama industry in August 2025. Cho Yi-hyun led the way with a top-ranking drama and a 5.9 million reputation index, Moon Ga-young followed with a highly reputable legal series and strong brand presence, while Park Bo-young remained relevant with her dual roles and award nominations. Together, they exemplify how brand reputation, ratings data, and official recognition shape who can be named the “Top 3 Korean Actresses” of the month.

Sources: Kpoppost, Korean Business Research Institute, Nielsen Korea, Sportskeeda, Wikipedia/AsianWiki