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Taiwan-born Tzuyu chosen as most popular K-pop idol in Taiwan

December 26, 2016

TAIPEI, Dec. 26 (Yonhap) — Tzuyu, a Taiwanese member of the multinational K-pop girl group TWICE, and “Descendants of the Sun” have turned out to be the most popular Korean idol and TV series, respectively, in Taiwan, a local paper reported Monday.

The Liberty Times released the popularity results based on the number of searches on the Internet and social media sites.

In November 2015, Tzuyu put herself at the center of a diplomatic controversy when she waved the Taiwanese national flag during an online-exclusive portion of the variety show “My Little Television” on MBC.

In this AP photo, Tzuyu (1st from R) and two other members of South Korean girl group TWICE pose for photos on the red carpet of the 2016 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in Hong Kong on Dec. 2, 2016.

She was harshly criticized by Taiwanese singer Michael Huang, known for his anti-independence views, and his view was shared by many internet users in mainland China that sticks to its one-China policy. The controversy triggered JYP Entertainment, the producer of the group, to make her publicly apologize to appease Chinese fans.

Based on the popularity of Tzuyu, TWICE ranked fourth on the popularity survey.

The second and third spots were taken by two lead actors of the sensationally popular “Descendants of the Sun” — Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo.

Park Yu-chun of boy band JYJ and actor Park Bo-gum ranked fifth and sixth. The paper added that the tickets for Park Bo-gum’s meet-and-greet event slated for Jan. 22 in Taiwan have been all sold out.

Black Pink, a four-act girl group of YG Entertainment, actors Gong Yoo and Lee Joon-gi followed up in the list.

Regarding TV series, “Descendants of the Sun” took the top spot as the most popular Korean drama, followed by “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo,” starring Lee Joon-gi; “Doctors”; and “Love in the Moonlight.”