Why is it difficult to see advertisements for ‘global top star’ Ahn Se-young? [유병철의 스포츠 렉시오]
So far, we have adhered to the ‘dedicated to exercise’ policy.
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‘A moment when badminton history was rewritten’ Ahn Se-young is kissing the trophy after reaching the top of the women’s singles at the 2025 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals held at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center in Zhejiang, China, on the 21st. / Shinhwa Newsis
[더팩트 l 유병철 전문기자] # The University of North Carolina in the United States surveyed the average income of graduates, and the Department of Cultural Geography ranked first, beating medical schools, law schools, and business administration departments. The reason is simple. This is because of ‘NBA legend’ Michael Jordan, who graduated in 1985.
There is also a 2020s version. The average annual salary of graduates of Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture, Japan is 400 million won. you’re right. Shohei Otani, who is rewriting baseball history, is a graduate of this school. These are stories that are called out when pointing out ‘errors in statistics’, but on the other hand, they also convey the meaning that sports stars earn a high income that is difficult to compare to the general public.
Sports stars basically make money through salaries from their teams and prize money from competitions. However, once you reach superstardom, advertising fees soar. Jordan, who ranked first in income among sports stars in the world for a while, and Tiger Woods, the ‘Emperor of Golf’, also had more of the latter. This advertising fee has the advantage of continuing even after retirement.
# Among Korean sports stars, Son Heung-min is by far the best blue chip in the advertising world. She appears as a model in various commercial advertisements for cars, razors, sports drinks, and coffee, and is known to earn 15 to 18 billion won per year. Next, ‘Figure Queen’ Kim Yu-na, who shows strong brand power even after retirement, and table tennis player Shin Yu-bin, who has built a good image by being called ‘the nation’s little sister’, are also popular in the advertising market.
An expert in this field at an advertising agency explained, “(Advertising fee) is about 500 million won per year for a ‘big’ celebrity that everyone likes. In the case of Son Heung-min, he is a ‘special’ star beyond the ‘big’ level, and in this case, it can exceed 1 billion won. Although Yuna Kim is retired, I understand that she is treated as a top level and a big level.” Here is the question. Why is Ahn Se-young (23, Samsung Life Insurance), who is rewriting world badminton history, not visible in advertisements?
23-year-old Ahn Se-young exudes boyish charm. The photo shows Ahn Se-young posing at Incheon International Airport after returning to Korea on the 22nd after recording the most wins (11 wins) in a single season in badminton history. / Newsis
# The biggest reason is the principle of ‘commitment to exercise’ set by Ahn Se-young herself. This became a hot topic right after the 2023 Asian Games. “I’ve received so many requests for broadcast appearances, interviews, and advertisements. I’m just so grateful. However, the Ahn Se-young you know is just an ordinary athlete yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I still have a lot of work to do in sports, so I want to focus only on sports.”
In fact, in the case of commercial advertisements, Ahn Se-young only appeared in her team, Samsung Life Insurance (including Samsung Group’s Olympic advertisement) and KB Kookmin Bank. There was a lot of talk about the latter appearing because of the Korea Badminton Association, and of course it was temporary. In fact, he only appeared in his team’s commercials. The only broadcast appearance I enjoy is ‘You Quiz on the Block’ (tvN, broadcast on November 19, 2025). From around this time until now, his team, Samsung Life Insurance, is said to have been busy turning down requests to appear in commercials and broadcasts.
# The second reason why you can’t see Ahn Se-young in advertisements is ‘I don’t feel the need.’ Ahn Se-young is a badminton player and signs a contract for supplies and clothing. Although he has a good relationship with Nike, this is a token of his gratitude for sponsoring him from a young age, and the amount is only tens of millions of won, and the exposure is not high. On the other hand, Yonex, the leader in the badminton equipment industry, is different. Because she is an ongoing legend, Ahn Se-young receives the best treatment in this field.
Last July, we signed a special sponsorship contract worth ‘4 years and 10 billion won’ with Yonex. If so, Ahn Se-young has secured an income of at least 4 billion won per year, including the salary she receives from her team, advertising fees, prize money for exceeding $1 million per season, and Yonex product usage fees. Ahn Se-young, who prioritizes her exercise routine, does not feel the need to spend extra time and attention appearing in commercials. In addition, the explosive remarks that broke out immediately after the Paris Olympics and the conflict with the Badminton Association created an atmosphere that made it difficult to appear in advertisements.
‘Badminton queen in a dress’ Ahn Se-young (left) was selected as the women’s singles player of the year at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) awards ceremony held in Hangzhou, China on the 15th. Awarded for 3 consecutive years. Ahn Se-young was also selected as the ‘Athlete of the Year chosen by players’ and won two awards. / BWF website
# So, will it be difficult to see Ahn Se-young advertisements in the future? This is a bit of a mixed bag. In other words, it is also a matter of time. As everyone has stated, it is natural for sports stars to earn income through commercial advertisements. In 2025, Ahn Se-young created a historic year by breaking all Badminton World Federation (BWF) records, including 11 wins, highest winning percentage, and most prize money. Following the Asian Games, the World Championships, and last year’s Paris Olympics, the company’s phenomenal results are expected to soar, so its price is expected to soar.
It is highly likely that advertising fees will go beyond ‘big’ to ‘top’. ‘There is no business when it comes to money.’ Here, athletes are in their prime. Analysis suggests that it will not be easy for Ahn Se-young and her family to let this opportunity pass by.
# As for Ahn Se-young’s appearance in advertisements, all she has to do is decide. Their team, Samsung Life Insurance, says they have no reason or authority to stop this. Kang Yong-seok, a professional in charge of the badminton team at Samsung Life Insurance, explained, “The team just respects one’s thoughts. As far as I know, the policy of focusing on sports has not changed.”
When will we be able to see an advertisement featuring Ahn Se-young, the best badminton player in history, hitting the court with a racket? This is another point to watch for the ‘Ahn Se-young Syndrome’.
Ahn Se-young appearing on tvN’s ‘You Quiz on the Block’ (You Quiz). Ahn Se-young’s broadcast appearances include live interviews on You Quiz and KBS 9 O’clock News. / tvN screen capture
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