The Korean Corporate Reputation Research Institute announced on May 10 that BTS has achieved the top position in boy group brand reputation for May 2025. Following BTS are Seventeen in second place and Big Bang in third.
This ranking is based on an extensive analysis of 57,279,872 data points related to boy group brand reputation from April 10 to May 10. The evaluation takes into account various indices, including participation, media, communication, and community engagement. Notably, this month’s brand data reflects a decrease of 9.33% compared to April’s total of 63,170,845.
The brand reputation index is a metric developed to illustrate how consumers’ online behaviors significantly influence brand engagement. It assesses both positive and negative perceptions of boy groups, media visibility, and overall consumer interest and interactions. The findings from consumer-driven brand reputation recommendations are also weighted in this analysis.
In May 2025, the top 30 boy groups in terms of brand reputation include BTS, Seventeen, Big Bang, Tours, The Boyz, EXO, SHINee, Super Junior, ENHYPEN, NCT, Stray Kids, BTOB, ZEROBASEONE, ATEEZ, ASTK, INFINITE, Highlight, Boy Next Door, MONSTA X, WANNA ONE, 2PM, Dongbang, RISE, TREASURE, B1A4, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ONF, FTISLAND, VIXX, and PENTAGON.
BTS, consisting of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, holds the number one spot with a participation index of 133,301, a media index of 1,432,170, a communication index of 2,546,861, and a community index of 3,698,776, resulting in a total brand reputation index of 7,811,108. This reflects an increase of 2.54% from the previous month’s index of 7,617,606.
Seventeen, taking second place with members S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, Dokyum, Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino, earned a participation index of 132,753, a media index of 1,021,034, a communication index of 1,783,424, and a community index of 2,792,048, culminating in a brand reputation index of 5,729,258. This shows a decrease of 7.67% from April’s figure of 6,205,121.
Big Bang, featuring G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung, secured third place with a participation index of 70,966, a media index of 717,024, a communication index of 931,097, and a community index of 1,661,985, leading to a brand reputation index of 3,381,072—down 0.80% from April’s 3,408,197.
In fourth place, Tours, which includes Shin Yu, Dohun, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon, and Kyungmin, reported a participation index of 105,901 and a media index of 809,862. Their communication index was 651,974, and their community index reached 1,567,457, resulting in a total brand reputation index of 3,135,194, showing an impressive 85.77% increase from last month’s index of 1,687,676.
The Boyz—Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Jooyeon, Kevin, New, Q, Ju Haknyeon, Sunwoo, and Eric—came in fifth, achieving a participation index of 91,310, a media index of 712,987, a communication index of 937,290, and a community index of 1,077,597 for a brand reputation index of 2,819,185. This marked a decrease of 7.53% compared to April’s index of 3,048,818.
Koo Chang-hwan, Director of the Korean Corporate Reputation Research Institute, commented on the findings: “The May 2025 analysis reveals that BTS retains its top position in boy group brand reputation, despite an overall decrease of 9.33% in brand data compared to April. Further analysis shows declines in brand consumption (12.33%), brand issues (1.38%), brand communication (15.02%), and brand dissemination (9.56%).”
Additionally, Koo noted specific trends within BTS’s brand analysis, highlighting prominent terms such as “to prove, to sell out, to sponsor,” and emphasizing a significant positive ratio of 92.02% in consumer sentiment regarding the group. Detailed metrics show a decrease of 8.68% in brand consumption and a reduction of 6.31% in brand issues, but increases in brand communication (7.43%) and brand dissemination (3.54%).
The brand reputation analysis for May 2025 encompasses various groups, including not just the top 30, but also names like CRAVITY, BLOCK B, Teen Top, SF9, GOT7, and many others, illustrating the dynamic landscape of boy group popularity in the K-pop industry.
