Netizens Debate On The “Nation’s Little Sister” Title Holders

In the Korean entertainment industry, celebrities often get endowed with certain honored “national” titles by the public for their extraordinary appeal and achievements. For example, Yoo Jae Suk is unanimously called “The Nation’s MC,” and singer-actor Suzy is widely known as the “Nation’s First Love.”

Yoo Jae Suk | Hancinema Suzy | @skuukzky/Instagram

While these titles are not easy to earn, they are also not exclusive to one celebrity only. The title “Nation’s Little Sister” is prime evidence of this fact. Over the course of history, many female celebrities have earned the beloved title, and recently, a viral post on TheQoo compiled a list of the most prominent of them.

Lim Ye Jin

Lim Ye Jin | Hancinema

Actress Lim Ye Jin is one of the earliest recipients of this honorable title. She made her acting debut in 1974 with the movie Transgression. But she was catapulted to stardom in 1976-77 after headlining one after another box office hits like Never Forget Me and Crazy For You. All of these movies focused on teenage friendship, romance, and aspirations, and Lim’s innocent, sweet girl image earned her huge popularity among young audiences and, eventually, the title of everyone’s favorite little sister (dongsaeng in Korean).

Lim Ye Jin in her early years | Hancinema

Moon Geun Young

Moon Geun Young | Hancinema

Actress Moon Geun Young debuted in 1999 as a child actress, but her rise to popularity came with the hugely popular television drama series Autumn in My Heart (2000). Her follow-up projects only grew her fame further, and in 2004, the press gave her the title of “Nation’s Little Sister” after her performance in the romantic comedy My Little Bride. So, technically, Moon was the original owner of the title since it was coined specifically for her.

Yuna Kim

Yuna Kim | VOGUE

Figure skater Yuna Kim is arguably one of the biggest celebrities in South Korea, reflected in her most popular nickname, “Queen Yuna.” But she was also given the title of “Nation’s Little Sister” when she first started to draw public attention around 2007 with her winning streak in competitions and TV appearances.

IU

IU | @dlwlrma/Instagram

Though IU debuted in 2008, she wasn’t crowned the “Nation’s Little Sister” until 2010, when her duet with 2AM’s Lim Seulong, “Nagging,” and her single “Good Day” exponentially accelerated her popularity nationwide. In 2011, she appeared in the popular TV series Dream High, which boosted her fame even further, strengthening her hold on the title.

Though all the artists mentioned in the list have technically been the title holders of “Nation’s Little Sister,” netizens flocked to the comment section, either disagreeing with certain names or wondering why some others, like Jang Na Ra or Sohee, were not included.

| theqoo

• “Park Bo Young, too, for me.”
• “Park Bo Youg.”
• “Kim Yuna went down the road of Figure Skating Fairy -> Queen. She was the nation’s little sister for a very short while before it disappeared.”
• “I thought Suzy (would be here).”
• “Why isn’t Sohee here.”
• “Moon Geun Young.”
• “I came here thinking about Sohee and IU.”

| theqoo

• “Jang Na Ra was not the nation’s little sister. It was more like ‘Jang Na Ra syndrome’ or something?”
• “Isn’t Yuna called the queen? She has always been the queen.”
• “Exclude IU.”
• “It’s obviously Moon Geunyoung…It’s not like IU was not popular, but she doesn’t have the little sister vibe.”
• “When I was a kid, whenever I turned on the TV, I always saw IU introduced as the nation’s little sister on variety shows. So, for me, it’s IU.”
• “I also thought Ahn So Hee and Jang Na Ra would be on here.”

As honorable as titles like “Nation’s Little Sister” are, they are also pretty arbitrary, given the clear lack of consensus about who is rightfully called what. At the end of the day, it all boils down to which celebrities were able to touch the nation’s heart in an extraordinary way and how their fans decide to honor that influence.