'The Kiss That Shook K-Drama Fans' — Who’s the Surprising Baeksang Popularity Frontrunner?

The race is on — and fans are fired up. Voting for the Prism Popularity Award at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards officially began on April 23, and with just ten days to cast votes, fans around the world are rallying behind their favorite stars.

The award will honor one male and one female actor based entirely on fan votes, and as the polls opened, votes quickly poured in for stars of this year’s hit dramas like 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' and 'Lovely Runner'.

Who’s Leading the Race?

In the male category, Byeon Woo-seok leads with approximately 226,000 votes, while Park Bo-gum trails in second place with around 84,000 votes. In the female category, it’s Hyeri who’s dominating the polls with over 738,000 votes, outperforming top contenders like IU from When Life Gives You Tangerines and Kim Hye-yoon from Lovely Runner. IU currently holds second place with 533,000 votes, followed by Kim Hye-yoon with 496,000 votes.

The Drama Behind the Votes

Hyeri’s surge in popularity is largely credited to her leading role in the drama Friendly Rivalry, where she played Yoo Jae-yi — the queen bee of Korea’s elite Chaehwa Girls’ High School. The show follows Seul-gi (played by Chung Su-bin), a transfer student caught in a brutal academic rivalry while uncovering the mystery behind her father’s suspicious death — he was a former college entrance exam question setter.

In the drama, Hyeri portrayed a student who appears flawless in every way: looks, grades, and family background. One particular scene — a same-sex kiss with Chung Su-Bin — went viral on social media, further propelling the show’s popularity and expanding its loyal fanbase.

Friendly Rivalry didn’t just make waves in Korea. International audiences embraced the drama for its bold storytelling and emotionally charged ending. Far from being just another GL (Girls’ Love) series, it was praised for pushing boundaries and delivering a fresh, impactful narrative.

Since its premiere on February 10, the show topped viewership charts on U+mobiletv and U+tv, becoming the most-watched original drama on both platforms that day. It also debuted at #3 on the KinoLights “Today’s Content” ranking, which tracks popularity across all OTT content in Korea.

On FUNdex’s TV-OTT drama buzz chart, Friendly Rivalry entered the TOP10 immediately after release. Hyeri and co-star Chung Su-bin also ranked high in the actor popularity charts, landing in #3 and #9 respectively — further proof of their growing influence.

Rising Across Asia

The drama also soared across Asia. In Japan and Taiwan, it hit #1 on major streaming platforms, and on Taiwan’s Friday OTT, it ranked first overall. On global streaming service iQIYI, the series climbed to #2 in the drama chart. It even earned a rating of over 9.0 on IMDb, a rare feat for a K-drama, signaling its critical acclaim.

Voting for the Prism Popularity Award runs until May 2, and the winners will be announced at the Baeksang Arts Awards ceremony on May 5, held at COEX D Hall in Seoul. With fans casting votes in record numbers, all eyes are on who will walk away with the coveted popularity crown.

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