The Korea First Brand Awards 2026, which honors leading Korean brands across multiple consumer markets, was held on January 6 at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, South Korea.
The award-winning brands in the Corporate Brand category in the Vietnamese market included Lock & Lock in kitchenware, Derm’all Matrix, a premium facial mask brand in beauty care, Grain On in digestive health supplements, Kundal in full-body care, Bano:Bagi in sheet masks, and Dr. Pepti in beauty and anti-aging skincare.
Ms. Vu Thanh Thuy, Editor-in-Chief of VTV Times, presents awards to the top Korean brands of 2026 as voted by Vietnamese consumers.
After receiving the award for the second time, a Bano:Bagi representative said that an award voted on directly by Vietnamese consumers holds special significance for the brand.
A representative of Dr. Pepti Korea receives the First Brand Awards 2026.
In addition, Vietnamese consumers selected 11 figures and brands in the People and Culture category of the Korea First Brand Awards 2026. The honorees were aespa, CORTIS, Hearts2Hearts, ZEROBASEONE, Larva, Lee Kwang-soo, Yim Si-wan, Yoona, Jisoo, Han Sara, and Haechan.
Due to her active presence throughout the past year, singer Han Sara was also voted No.1 Female Vocalist of the Year in Vietnam.
Singer Han Sara is voted No.1 Female Vocalist of the Year in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, CORTIS was named Male Idol (Rookie) artists expected to lead music trends in the Vietnamese market this year.
Actor Lee Kwang-soo won a significant award in the Leading Film Actor of 2026 category. He continues to earn the nickname “Prince of Asia” through the variety show “Running Man” and the strong affection of Vietnamese audiences.
Last year, Lee Kwang-soo received praise for his role in the Vietnam-South Korea co-production “Love Barista,” , contributing to the film’s appeal.
A panoramic view of the Korea First Brand Awards ceremony stage.
The Korea First Brand Awards is the most extensive brand award program in South Korea. Major conglomerates such as Lotte, LG, Hyundai and CJ participate, as well as leading global corporations like 3M, Johnnie Walker, Johnson & Johnson. Cultural icons spearheading the Hallyu wave such as Blackpink, Stray Kids, Yoo Jae-suk, and Cha Eun-woo, also take part.
After 24 years, the awards have firmly established their strong global influence. Each year, more than 100 brands across various consumer markets are honored.
Thanks to their high-quality products, Korean brands continue to receive strong recognition in the Vietnamese market. In 2024, the Korea Customers Council (KCC) created a Vietnam voting category. The KCC collaborated with VTV Times to conduct surveys and honor the top Korean brands as voted by Vietnamese consumers.
Actress Lee Min-jung on the red carpet at the Korea First Brand Awards ceremony.
The survey was conducted on a large scale from November 3 to November 16 via the official Korea First Brand Awards voting platform in Vietnam.
This year, the survey recorded an impressive 4,423,789 respondents across four countries: Vietnam, South Korea, China, and Indonesia. A total of 23,939,347 votes were cast.
