BTS’ Jungkook, IU crowned most-loved K-pop artists worldwide

BTS’ Jungkook and IU, a singer and actress, have claimed the top spots on the most-favorite K-pop artist charts in both the male and female categories, according to a recent poll.

In a survey conducted by Arirang TV, a South Korean international broadcaster, Jungkook scored the highest vote at 12.7% in the male K-pop artist category.

Fellow BTS artists Jimin (11.1%), RM (6.9%), V (6.5%) and J-Hope (6.05) filled in the remaining four of the top five ranks despite their four-year hiatus for military service.

Another boy band, SHINee’s Taemin, followed with 4.9%, while BTS’ Jin garnered 3.7% of votes.

Suga, another BTS member, secured the eighth spot.

Some 601 viewers from 94 countries participated in the poll carried out by the TV network between June 23 and July 7.

Beyond the chart toppers, more than 80 male artists garnered votes, reflecting a broader base of preferences for K-pop’s idols.

In the female artist category, IU reigned supreme with 17.0% of votes.

The singer-songwriter starred in the recent Netflix hit drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines," adding to her already strong reputation. 

BLACKPINK RETURNS AS FULL GROUP

Blackpink, a four-member girl group, dominated the top five spots on the female chart, following IU.

Blackpink’s Rosé came in second with 11.3%, trailed by Jennie and Lisa, who each garnered 10.6%. Karina of girl group aespa secured 5.5% of the vote. Blackpink’s Jisoo rounded out the top five with 5.1%.

More than 60 other female K-pop artists also received votes.

YouTube remains the dominant channel for accessing Korean content, with 55% of respondents citing it as their primary source, according to the survey.

Social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook followed at 14.4%, while 12.1% reported using over-the-top (OTT) services such as Netflix and Disney+.

Short-form video platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts accounted for 7.7%, trailed by traditional television broadcasts at 6.7%.

News outlets and live performances each accounted for less than 4% of K-content access.

The largest share of respondents, 34.5%, fell within the 18–29 age group followed by those aged 30-39 at 29.1%

Other age brackets included 40-49 (15.8%), 50-59 (9.3%), under 18 (5.4%) and 60 and older (4.4%).

The survey data indicates that interest in K-content is concentrated among younger demographics, especially those in their twenties and thirties. 

The respondents are spread broadly across regions, with Asia accounting for 47.2%, North America with 23.4%, Europe at 19.5% and South America at 4.5%.

By country, the US represented 17.6% of the respondents, followed by the Philippines (6.9%), Japan (6.9%), South Korea (5.1%), India (4.7%), the UK (4.7%) and China (4.5%).

In terms of gender, women made up 64.1% of respondents, compared with 34.5% for men.

Write to Yeonhee Kim at yhkim@hankyung.com