Thai K-pop star Lisa, one of the four members of the girl group BLACKPINK, has 22.3 million Instagram followers – more than any other South Korea-based celebrity.

Do these hashtags #f4f, #followforfollow, #follow4follow sound familiar? If you recognize them – as the social media tags users post after following other people in the hope they will follow them back in return – then you are definitely on the right track to understanding the 21st century popularity indicator, Instagram.

With millions of posts and stories uploaded daily on Instagram, the platform is becoming a huge gauge to help the public determine an individual’s popularity. And yes, of course, South Korean celebrities are no different in focusing on their Instagram accounts.

Check out our list of the top 10 South Korea-based celebrities with millions of followers from all over the world. Follow their strategies and maybe you could be just as famous on Instagram, too.

1. Lisa – BLACKPINK (22.3 million followers)

The total number of Instagram followers of the Bangkok-born K-pop star Lisa of the four-member girl group BLACKPINK – 22.3 million – easily exceeds the totals of every other South Korea-based celebrity.

The posts of the 22-year-old rapper, sub-vocalist – someone who provides support for the band's main vocalist – dancer and model, whose real name is Lalisa Manoban, focus mainly on her daily life.

2. Jenny – BLACKPINK (19 million followers)

Jenny, another member of BLACKPINK, claims the spot as second most popular South Korean-based celebrity on Instagram with 19 million followers.

The 23-year-old main rapper and sub-vocalist with the group, whose real name is Jennie Kim, regularly posts pictures of herself and her daily life. She recently released her first solo album, “SOLO”, which has boosted her profile in K-pop culture.

She is also a global ambassador of the French fashion house Chanel.

3. Chanyeol – EXO (18.2 million followers)

Chanyeol, the main rapper and sub-vocalist with the nine-member South Korean and Chinese boy band, EXO, has more than 18 million Instagram followers.

The posts of the 26-year-old from Seoul, whose real name is Park Chan-yeol, vary from those focused on his daily life to footage from his career. His posts have a casual and friendly feel about them, which seems to appeal to his many followers.

On Monday he released a new album, “What a Life”, with his fellow Korean group member and rapper Oh Se-hun, 25, better known simply as Sehun.

4. Rose – BLACKPINK (17.2 million followers)
Rose, who is the main vocalist and lead dancer of BLACKPINK, has more than 17 million followers.

The 22-year-old, whose real name is Roseanne Park, was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and holds dual New Zealand and South Korean citizenship.

Her posts consist mainly of casual selfies with some career footage.

She has demonstrated her singing talent on the Korean television singing variety show, The King of Mask[ed] Singer .

5. Sehun – EXO (16.7 million followers)

Sehun, the lead dancer and lead rapper of EXO, has more than 16 million followers.

He is known for the interesting “stories” he uploads on his daily Instagram feed, showing off his positive vibe.

On Monday he released the album “What a Life” with Chanyeol.

6. Jisoo – BLACKPINK (16.3 million followers)

Jisoo, one of the lead vocalists of BLACKPINK, is best known for her stunning looks.

The 24-year-old singer, actress and model, whose full name is Kim Ji-soo, usually posts casual, relaxed looking photographs of herself on Instagram, which have proved very popular since she now has more than 16 million followers.

7. G-Dragon – Big Bang (16.3 million followers)

K-pop star and influencer G-Dragon has been able to maintain more than 16 million followers even while he is serving his mandatory military service in South Korea.

The 30-year-old leader of the boy band, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, has stopped adding different Instagram posts since February, but his followers have shown no sign of deserting him.

8. Baekhyun – EXO (15.2 million followers)

South Korean Baekhyun of EXO is famous not only for his looks, but also for his singing ability.

The 27-year old main vocalist in the band, whose full name is Byun Baek-hyun, has more than 15 million Instagram followers as well as 1.8 million followers dedicated to his V-LOG YouTube Baekhyun Channel.

9. Lee Jong-suk, actor, model – (15 million followers)

Lee Jong-suk, the only non-K-pop celebrity in the top 10 list, is a model and actor who achieved huge popularity after he started his acting career.

His Instagram posts feature mainly footage promoting his acting career, which has seen him star in the television dramas I Can Hear Your Voice in 2013, and While Your Were Sleeping in 2017. Despite Lee, 29, having only a few posts and the loose timeline between each post, he still maintains more than 15 million followers.

10. Taeyeon – Girls’ Generation (13.6 million followers)

Taeyeon, 30, who is one of the eight-member girl group Girls’ Generation, has enjoyed a successful career since making her K-pop debut in 2007.

Thanks to her youthful looks and beautiful voice, Taeyeon, whose real name is Kim Taeyeon, has never had to endure a slump in popularity.

However, the singer, who has just finished a solo tour of Japan, candidly opened up to her 13 million Instagram followers this month about her battle with depression.

Post by Minki Jang