Kim Soo-hyun earned $17.5mil within 2 months in China

South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun has earned 110 million yuan ($17.5 million) in China in the past two months, a magazine reported on Wednesday.

Since “My Love from the Star” became a sensation in Asia, Kim, who starred in the drama as lead character Do Min-jun, his income has skyrocketed. Kim’s value is measured by the second, quipped China’s weekly magazine South Entertainment Weekly.

The advertisement market reflected Kim’s soaring fandom in China as the actor recently inked a deal with Samsung Electronics for local promotion. He was also selected as the face of Hyundai Motor’s new model ix25, specifically targeted for Chinese in their 20s and 30s.

Besides the two big companies, several other Korean and foreign firms aiming to appeal to Chinese consumers have signed contracts with Kim.

The companies included Lotte Department Store, CJ bakery Tous Les Jours, The Faceshop, Prospecs, Coca-Cola and Haagen-Dazs.

In the recent deal with Haagen-Dazs, Kim received 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) as a retainer, according to the magazine. The amount was much more than that of China’s highly popular actress Fan Bing Bing.

The drama “My Love from the Star” stormed into China about two months ago, raising sensational interest there for Korean culture related to the show’s scenes, such as eating chicken and beer.

By Ha Ji-won, Intern reporter (jiwonha@heraldcorp.com)