The popularity of the KBS soap opera “Descendants of the Sun” is boosting sales of running shoes.

Kolon Sport, a producer of outdoor and sports clothing, has seen sales of its new line of running shows, Sox, soar by a whopping 300 percent since it released on March 17 a TV commercial for the new line of shoes that stars the sensational male lead of the drama, actor Song Joong-ki.

The ad shows the actor walking in a pair of Sox shoes. He shows off a bit with a few dance moves to reveal the shoes’ comfort, feel and style.   

Actor Song Joong-ki strikes a pose in an ad for Kolon Sport’s new Sox line of running shoes. 

“We chose Song as our exclusive model as part of an effort to target customers not only in Korea but in China, too. He has won over many hearts across Asia and elsewhere since the smash hit ‘Descendants of the Sun’ aired,” said an official from Kolon Sport. “Having him in our commercials will help improve our brand image. We hope that Song’s liveliness and brightness will create synergy effects in our attempt to make a decisive change to the brand itself.”  

Recently hitting viewer ratings of more than 30 percent, “Descendants of the Sun” has grown in popularity to a point where both Korean and Chinese fans have so-called “Song Joong-ki Heartburn.” With that sensation, many other businesses are scrambling to get the actor as a model to promote their products.  LG Household & Health Care has hired Song as a model for its commercials for its toothpastes Perio and Bamboo Salt. Dongwon F&B, a food manufacturer, has chosen the actor as a model for its canned tuna. Hite Jinro, one of the nation’s largest distillers, hired him as a new face to represent its beer brand Hite.