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Girl group After School has been selected as advertising models for Japanese food company Hanryuen.

Hanryuen, a mid-size Japanese food company, produces Korean foods such as bibimbap (spicy mixed rice and vegetable dish) as well as other fusion foods, and has been receiving a lot of love from Japanese consumers.

The After School girls are also currently the first idol group models for global handbag brand Samantha Thavasa, and now that they have been selected as models for a food company they are silently emerging as a hallyu leader. Their single "Rambling Girls," which was released in January, made it to the #6 spot on the Oricon charts and despite the fact that they're not as well-known, they have been receiving many love calls for advertisements in Japan.

Netizens reacted positively to the news, praising After School saying, "Even in Korea it's hard to be an advertising model for food unless you're a top star~ the fact that they're advertising food in another country is great," "I feel proud as a fellow Korean that After School is doing so well in Japan!" "I think the more popular you actually are in Japan, the more Koreans don't know about it," and "After Schools girls are advertisement queens."

After School will release their first official Japanese album titled 'PLAYGIRLZ' on March 14th, and on April 27th they will launch their first solo Japanese tour starting in Tokyo, following up to Nagoya on the 28th, and finishing up in Osaka on the 30th.

Source + Image: Sports Chosun via Nate