South Korea's largest mobile carrier, KT Corporation, will provide smartphone wallpapers of its television advertisement model, Song Joong Ki, through the company's official blog site and several social networking services (SNS) channels.
Latest reports claimed that the country's largest telephone company is planning to distribute 1 million posters and a life-sized cutout of the Hallyu star through various stores across South Korea. KT Corporation will randomly give out gifts, including the cut-outs and free Americano coupons, to local and international customers who share their respective photo with the actor's life-size cut-out on Facebook or Instagram, The Korea Times reported.
According to the news outlet, KT recently aired a TV commercial for its mobile Internet services, which featured the actor from the mega-hit drama series titled "Descendants of the Sun." In the drama, Song portrayed the team leader of South Korea's elite Special Forces, Captain Yoo Si Jin (aka Big Boss), who is confident and at times witty and likes to joke around.
"Descendants of the Sun," which aired on KBS2 from Feb. 24 to April 22, follows the one of a kind love story develops between Captain Yoo Si Jin and Doctor Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo), who works as a surgeon at Haesung Hospital in Seoul. The two characters will find themselves amidst great events and deadly dangers, both in their motherland and in the fiction war-torn country of Urk.
The 19-episode drama was incredibly popular with the final episode recording a 38.8 viewership rating across the nation and 41.6 percent in the capital area. The drama established Joong-Ki as a top Hallyu star, as he experienced tremendous growth in his popularity all through Asia.
Given his increasing commercial value both local and international, Joong-Ki became the face of more than 30 brands, which include skin care products, toothpaste, clothes, beer and even canned tuna. In April, an official at an unnamed company, whose product appeared in the TV drama, told local reporters of their intention to sign the actor as their model.
"The sales of our product have surged both at home and abroad after Song and other cast members were seen consuming it," MNR Daily quoted the official as saying. "We would like to hire Song as our model. But he has become too expensive for us."
Meanwhile, Joong-Ki will be appearing next in 2017's "Battleship Island," alongside Hwang Jung Min and So Ji Sub. Check out the official teaser of "Descendants of the Sun" below: