Social media has become a must for many of us, especially for most celebrities. It is their way to connect with their supporters, and share happenings in their lives outside work.

In Korea, almost every idols and personalities have set up their accounts on Instagram where they can post photos and stories to keep their fans updated. Obviously, they instantly get huge followings as soon as their profiles are made public.

That being said, here are the most followed female and male Korean personalities this year:

1. BLACKPINK’s Lisa

It’s no secret that BLACKPINK is one of the most popular girl groups inside and outside Korea right now. Aside from the fact that their music videos have millions of views, the members are also ambassadors and endorsers for many high-end brands.

Lisa, who recently made her solo debut bags the number one spot as the most followed female personality in Korea this 2021. As of writing, the idol has 70.1 million followers.

2. BLACKPINK’s Jennie

The second most followed female Korean personality is BLACKPINK’s Jennie with 59.3 million followers on Instagram as of writing. She usually posts pictures of herself from magazine covers and advertisements, to selfies and travel photos taken at tourist spots.

Jennie also has another Instagram account @lesyeuxdenini, where photos captures in film are posted. Despite it not being her main profile, it already has over 3 million followers too!

3. BLACKPINK’s Jisoo

Although Jisoo first gained popularity as a member of BLACKPINK, the idol is also now considered as an actress. She recently made her on-screen debut with JTBC’s drama entitled “Snowdrop” alongside Jung Hae In.

Jisoo currently has 52.8 million followers on Instagram. Most of her content includes selfies, photoshoots, endorsements and from time to time, pictures with the members.

 4. BLACKPINK’s Rose

Unsurprisingly, the female Korean personality who bags the 4th spot as the most followed in Instagram is none other than BLACKPINK’s Rose. Her number of followings comes very close to Jisoo at 52.6 million as of writing.

The idol’s notable fashion sense is usually the center of her posts – as she is usually seen sporting clothing and accessories from brands like Dior, Yves Saint Laurent as well as Tiffany & Co.

5. IU

IU made her debut in the entertainment industry as a singer back in 2008. Five years later, she started her career as an actress and played the lead role in the 50-episode weekend series “You’re the Best, Lee Soon-shin”.

The idol-actress currently has 24.2 million followers on Instagram, where she usually post pictures of herself, videos of her singing and dancing as well as teasers for her upcoming comebacks and dramas.

6. Jung Ho Yeon

After the positive response from Netflix’s series Squid Game, Ho Yeon who played one of the main characters of the show, instantly gained millions of followers on her social media.

From just 400,000 followers before the program aired, the actress now has a whopping 23.8 million followers. Aside from acting, Ho Yeon is also a successful model. In fact, she has walked for Louis Vuitton even before her she gained immense popularity from the Korean series.  

7. Suzy

Suzy made her first debut as an idol under JYP Entertainment’s Miss A. Now that the girl group is no longer active, she has focused into her acting and modelling career.

To date, she has 16.9 million followers on Instagram. She also has a second account @sz.z.y where she gives fans a glimpse of her private life. While her main profile has a more curated and professional content, her second account has a more personal feel to it.

1. Lee Min Ho

Every avid K-drama fan knows who Lee Min Ho is. He is one of Korea’s top actors who starred in many hit shows like City Hunter, The Heirs, Boys Over Flowers and Legend of The Blue Sea.

He also participated in various successful films like Gangnam Blues and Bounty Hunters. Although he’s not as active on Instagram as other Korean personalities, Min Ho currently has 27.2 million followers.

2. BTS’ V

All BTS members only made their Instagram accounts this year, but V is already one of the most followed male Korean personalities with 27.2 million followers to date.

Even the acclaimed director Baz Luhrmann who is known for working on Romeo & Juliet, Moulin Rogue and The Great Gatsby is now following V, raising expectations from fans that he is returning on screen as an actor.

3. Jackson Wang

Coming in third place is GOT7 member and solo artist Jackson Wang with 26.5 million followers as of writing. Jackson is widely known not only for his talent in music, but also for being a businessman.

He has launched a clothing line called TEAM WANG DESIGN, specializing in high-end street fashion. In some of his Instagram posts, you can see him wearing products from the said brand.

4. ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo

Cha Eun Woo is a member of Fantagio Entertainment’s boy group ASTRO that debuted in 2016. However, even before his work as an idol, he already started his career as an actor when he played a minor role in the 2014 film My Brilliant Life.

Now, he is also well known actor who currently has 25.5 million followers on Instagram. His posts range from selfies and magazine covers to behind the scenes of his current dramas.

5. BTS’ Jungkook

BTS’ maknae Jungkook is the second most followed member on Instagram with 25.4 million followers to date. His quirky username on the social media platform was instantly noticed by many, which even lead to some brands to follow his trend!

The idol does not have many posts on his account yet, but each of it has gained over 10 million likes. Many are also excited to see what he has in store for his fans.

6. BTS’ Jimin

BTS’ Jimin has even lesser pictures on his Instagram account than Jungkook, but that didn’t stop him from earning a spot as one of the most followed male Korean personality on the app.

He currently has 24.7 million followers with only 2 posts, so it’s still too early to tell what kind of content he will be sharing to the public. Jimin stans, hang in there! Here’s to hoping he will be posting something before this year ends~

7. BTS’ Jin

With 23.5 million followers on Instagram as of writing, BTS member Jin is also one of the most followed male Korean personalities on the app. His username, which is just a simple “jin” drew attention from many as it is very hard to get minimal usernames on the platform.

The idol is known for his love of food, and this theme is slowly showing on his posts. Jin recently posted pictures of his meal. Will he be posting videos of him cooking soon? Let’s all stay tuned!

These are the most followed male and female Korean personalities on Instagram this 2021. We’re excited to see if these rankings will change next year~