Thanks to his role in “Descendants of the Sun,” actor Song Joong Ki’s popularity in China is soaring.

Chinese data and marketing firm VLinkage reported that Song Joong Ki was the No. 1 most searched celebrity in China on March 13, climbing to the top in only a matter of days. On March 8 he ranked at No. 8, jumped to No. 3 on March 9, and has held the No. 1 spot since March 12.

The spike in popularity for Song Joong directly coincides with the massive amount of love “Descendants of the Sun” is receiving in China. The first episode received 30 million views in less than 24 hours after being uploaded to China video platform iQiyi. The drama is so popular, in fact, that the Chinese government has had to issue statements cautioning against overindulgence of Korean dramas, citing cases of domestic violence and divorce as a direct result of the obsession linked to K-dramas.

“Descendants of the Sun” airs every Wednesday and Thursday on KBS2. Catch the latest episode on Viki!

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