Lee Da-hae sells out 20 billion won worth of goods in China while heavily pregnant ... a smash hit in just two hours

[Financial News] Ahead of the opening of Singles’ Day (the 11/11 shopping festival), China’s biggest shopping festival, a live-commerce broadcast featuring a Korean actress and a top local influencer (wanghong) who teamed up generated sales worth 100 million yuan (about 20 billion won) in just two hours.
Actor Lee Da-hae appeared as a guest on a Singles’ Day live-commerce broadcast held on the 18th in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. The broadcast was a major sales event hosted by Dandan, one of China’s leading influencers. Around 500 staff were deployed on-site, and five electric vehicles were offered as prizes, among other major promotional investments. According to figures displayed on a large screen at the venue, the broadcast’s gross merchandise volume (GMV) surpassed approximately 100 million yuan (about 20 billion won) in just two hours.
The retail and e-commerce industries view this achievement as evidence of the explosive economic impact that can result when Korean artists’ intellectual property (IP) combines with local platform ecosystems in the Korea-China cross-border commerce market—not merely as a celebrity appearance on a broadcast.
China’s National Radio and Television Administration and Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) have applied strict licensing and review standards to live broadcasts and commercial activities by foreign entertainers. At present, only a very small number of Korean artists can complete formal registration procedures in China and legally conduct live-selling broadcasts there.
Lee Da-hae is a prominent figure who obtained formal approval from the authorities, thanks to her fluent Chinese—honed through past appearances in local dramas—and her public profile. Analysts say that, amid high barriers to entry for foreign broadcasters, her status as a “proven overseas celebrity IP” with regulatory risks resolved has become a powerful reason for major local retailers and top wanghong influencers to collaborate with her.

China’s live-commerce market has become a massive retail platform with annual transaction volumes reaching hundreds of trillions of won. However, amid a recent slowdown in consumer sentiment and intensifying competition among influencers, the cost of attracting viewers (traffic) has surged.
With Singles’ Day, the biggest shopping season of the year, approaching, wanghong influencers are investing massive sums to monopolize early traffic and buzz. Production teams of around 500 people, high-value electric vehicle giveaways, and invitations to overseas celebrity guests are all sophisticated marketing strategies designed to draw large numbers of simultaneous viewers in a short time. The premium image of Korean stars and the fan-driven distribution networks of wanghong influencers combine to create a synergy that maximizes conversion rates.
The industry is watching for the possibility that this collaboration model could also expand into an export channel to China for K-beauty and global brands. Lee Da-hae has continued to demonstrate her influence as a global sales channel, including last year, when she used a private jet to travel to a live-commerce broadcast held in Korea that generated about 20 billion won in sales in 30 minutes.
Experts said, “China’s e-commerce environment is moving beyond simple price-discount competition and evolving into content commerce centered on storytelling and trusted personalities,” and analyzed that “artist IP with a solid reputation in China that has overcome the language barrier will become even more valuable as a key partner for global retailers seeking to enter the Chinese market.”
[email protected] Mun Yeong-jin Reporter