The Korean Business Research Institute has released its brand reputation rankings for K-Pop groups for the month of June. To determine which groups make the list, they analyzed trends such as consumer participation, community awareness, and news coverage
These are the 25 Most Popular K-pop groups for the month of June:
25. Lovelyz
Lovelyz debuted in 2014 under Woolim Entertainment as the company's first girl group.The group has eight members: Baby Soul, Jiae, Jisoo, Mijoo, Kei, Jin, Sujeon, and Yein. Lovelyz gained more fame following their appearance on Mnet's "Road to Kingdom".
24. TXT
TXT debuted in 2019 under Big Hit Entertainment with five members: Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Huening Kai. Their debut EP, "The Dream Chapter: Star", debuted and peaked at number one on the Gaon Album Charts and Billboard World Albums Charts. It also ented the Billboard 200 and became thehighest-charting debut album from a male K-Pop Group. "Crown" debuted atop the World Digital Songs charts and the group topped the Billboard Emerging Artist chart, making them the fasted K-Pop group to enter the charts.
23. Stray Kids
Stray Kids was introduced to the piblic in 2017 through the JYP Entertainment show of the same name. The group made their debuted in 2018. The group is composed of eight members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. There was originally another member, Woojin, but he left the group and the company in 2019 for personal reasons.
22. THE BOYZ
THE BOYZ debuted under Cre.Ker Entertainment in 2017. Prior to their official debut, various members appeared in different shows and/or featured in music videos. The group was known as Cre.kerz pre-debut. In 2020, the group gained more fame following their appearance on "Road to Kingdom", where they won 1st place and will be moving forward to :"Kingdom".
The group has eleven members: Sanyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, New, Q, Ju Hayknyeon, Sunwoo, and Eric. They were originally twelve, but member Hwall left the group in 2019 due to healh reasons.
21. MONSTA X
The group was formed through the reality survival show by Starship Entertainment. The group debuted in 2015, and currently consists of six members: Shownu, Joohoney, Hyungwon, Minhyuk, Kihyun, and I.N. There were originally seven, however, member Wonho left the group in 2019 following allegations of owed money and assets as well as drug allegations.
In April 2018, MONSTA X's Japanese single "Spotlight" received an official gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.
MONSTA X wowed MONBEBEs and non-MONBEBEs with their recent comeback album, "Fantasia X," that achieved no. 1 status in various music charts.
20. Apink
Apinkd debuted in 2011 under Play M Entertainment. The group has won numerous awards on music shows and award shows such as Golden Disc Award, the Seoul Music Awards, and the Mnet Asian Music Awards. They have released nine Korean mini-albums, three Korean studio albums, and Japanese studio albums. They currently consist of seven members: Park Chorong, Yoon Bomi, Jung Eunji, Son Naeun, Kim Namjoo, and Oh Hayoung They were originally eight, but member Hong Yookyung left the group in 2013 to focus on her studies.
19. Super Junior
Super Junior debuted in 2005 under SM Entertainment and are known as the "Kinds of Hallyu Wave", thanks to their contributionms to the Korean wave. They gained international recogniztion for their single "Sorry, Sorry" in 2019. Over the years, Super Junior has divided into smaller groups to target certain audiences. The members have also branched out to do their own solo work.
The group currently consists of: Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook, Kyuhyun. They originally had three more members, but they have left the company. Former Chinese member Han Geng filed a lawsuit against the company and won, formalizing his departure from the group and the company. Kibum announced via personal SNS that his contract with the company had expired and he departed from the group and company. Lastly, member Kangin left Super Junior in 2019 but is still signed to SM Entertainment.
Sungmin is currently an inactive member of Super Junior.
18. ASTRO
ASTRO is a six-member boy group that debuted in 2016 under Fantagio Entertainment. The group consists of members: MJ, Cha Eunwoo, Moobin, JinJin, Rocky, and Sanha. During their debut, they were name as one of the best new K-Pop groups of 2016. In 2018, the group went on a hiatus due to internat issues at their label, Fantagio.
17. WINNER
WINNER debuted in 2014 under YG Entertainment through the Mnet survival show "WIN: Who Is Next". Upon their debut, they were dubbed as "monster rookies" and "Turst and Listen". As of March 2019, WINNER was named the fastest Korean act to top the Billboard World Album Chart with their debut album. They are also the fastest act to win on a televised music show.
They currently consist of: Jinwoo, Seunghoo, Minho, and Yoon. They were originally a five-piece, but memebr Taehyun left the group in 2016 to focus on his mental health and well-being.
16. MAMAMOO
MAMAMOO debuted in 2014 under RBW Entertainment. Their debut was considered one of the best K-Pop debuts of 2014 by music critics. They are widely recognized for their retro, jazz, and R&B concepts, as well as their strong vocal performances. The group consists of four members: Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa.
15. ONF
ONF debuted in 2017 under WM Entertainment. Since their debut, they have released four Korean EPs and two Japanese singles. They recently gained recognition for their appearance on Mnet's "Road to Kingdom", where they won second place. The group currently consits of six members: Hyojin, E-Tion, J-Us, Wyatt, MK, and U. They originally had another member, Laun, but he left ONF and the company in 2019 after terminating his contract due to personal reasons.
14. (G)I-DLE
The group debuted in 2018 under Cube Entertainment with member hailing from China, Taiwan, Thailand, and South Korea. Upon their debut, they were dubbed as "monster rookies" and one of the top girl groups to not come from a Big 3 company. They are highly regarded for being involved in their music, with member Soyeon writing and co-producing all their mateiral. They also gained lots of attention after appearing on Mnet's "Queendom"
The group consists of: Soyeon, Minyeon, Minnie, Yuqi, Soojin, and Shuhua.
13. AB6IX
AB6IX debuted in 2019 under Brand New Music. Prior to their debut, the boys were already introduced to the public with their appearance on shows. The group consists of four members: Jeong Woong, Kim Donghyun, Park Woojin, and Lee Daehwi. Former leader Lim Yougnmin left the group in 2020 following his DUI scandal.
Lim Youngmin, Lee Daehwi, Kim Donghyun, and Park Woojin all appearaed on "Produce 101 Season 2", with Daehwi and Woojin making the final group line-up and debuted with Wanna One. Lim Youngmin and Kim Donghyun debuted in the duo MXM as well as the project group YDPP with Starship Entertainment artists Jeong Sewoon and Lee Gwanghyun.
Jeong Woong was seen in an episode of "Stray Kids", when the JYP Entertainment trainees met the YG Entertainment trainees. He performed with fellow YG Entertainment trainees on the song "Why So Lonely".
12. EXO
The group debuted in 2012 originally with 12 members divided into two sub-units. There was EXO-K, who sang in Korean and promoted in South Korea, as well as EXO-M, who sang in Mandarin and promoted in China.
EXO has been ranked as one of the top five most influential celebrities on the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list from 2014 to 2018. In 2018, the Korean government officially awarded the group the title "The Nation's Pick" and has been the face of Korean tourism ever since. They also performed at the pretigious Pyeongchang Olympics, and have been invident in various political meetings and in the Blue House. In 2017, they were the recipient of the Prime Minister's Commendation.
They broke the 12-year physical drought in Korea when their debut album sold one million copies, and they are presently quintuple million-sellers.
They are dubbed as one of the biggest boy bands in the world, while media outlets and the industry call them as "Kings of K-pop" and a legendary group.
The group's current line-up is: Suho, Kai, Chanyeol, Sehun, D.O, Xiumin, Baekhyun, Chen, and Lay. They are currently on a hiatus since members Suho, D.O, and Xiumin are participating in their mandatory military service, while member Lay is promoting in China. The other members are pursuing their solo career.
11. WJSN
WJSN, also known as Cosmic Girls, is a South Korean-Chinese girl group taht debuted 2015. They were formed by Starship Entertainment and Yueua Entertainment, and all the Chinese members come from Yuehua while the Korean members come from Starship. The group originally debuted as twelve members with Seola, Xuanyi, Bona, Exy, Soobin, Luda, Dawon, Eunseo, Cheng Xiao, Meiqi, Yeoreum, and Dayoung. In 2016, Yeonjung was added into the group following her appearance on Mnet's "Produce 101", where she made the final line-up and debuted with I.O.i.
Members Xuanyi, Meiqi, and Cheng Xiao are currently inactive. Xuanyi and Meiqi appeared on the show "Produce 101 China" and made the final line-up, debuting with Rocket Girls. They are currently promoting as members of the group. Cheng Xiao is also promoting in China.
10. NCT
NCT is an umbrella group that has numerous sub-units, with their first sub-unit - NCT U - debuting in 2016. The group is known for their unique concept of having unlimited members in their groups divided into sub-units, in which some groups can have member shifts throughout comebacks and some can be permanent groups. As of now, the group has 21 members and 4 sub-units: NCT U, NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV.
NCT has topped the Billboard's Emerging Artists Chart, and are the first K-pop act to do so. NCT 127 also spent their 2018 promoting in Korea and the United States.
NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV all successfully dropped their comebacks recently. NCT 127 with "Neo Zone" and repackage "Neo Zone: The Final Round," NCT Dream with their "Reload" EP that sold over 500,000 copies during pre-orders, and WayV with their "Awaken The World" that soared to no. 1 in Korean, Chinese, and world charts.
The current 21 members are: Taeil, Taeyong, Jonghyun, Ten, Mark, Doyoung, Kun, Yuta, Winwin, Haechan, Johnny, Jungwoo, Lucas, Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle, Jisung, Hendery, Yangyang, and Xiaojun.
9. Girls' Generation
Girls' Generation debuted in 2007 under SM Entertainment. They are considered prominent figures in the Hallyu Wave and have earned the nickname "The Nation's Girl Group". Their song, "Gee", was MelOn's most popular song of the 2000s decade. Their second Korean studio album, "Oh!", won the Golden Disc Award for Album of Year, making the group the only female act to win the award. They have venuted into the Japanese music scene and into the American market. The group has two sub-units: Girls' Generation-TTS and Oh!GG.
The group currently consists of: Taeyon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Former member Jessica left the group in 2014 due to conflicts between her and the group's schedules. In 2017, members Tiffany, Sooyoung, and Seohyun decided not to renew their contracts with SM Entertainment, though they are still members of the company.
8. GFRIEND
GFRIEND debuted in 2015 under Source Music. During their debut, they won several female rookie awards and gained a huge following depite coming from a small company. The group had their first concert and Asia tour in 2018. In July 2018, they made their Japanese debut. GFRIEND constsis of six members: Sowon, Yerin, Eunha, Yuju, SinB, and Umji.
7. Oh My Girl
Oh My Girl debuted in 2015 with originally eight members, but now promote as seven after JinE left the group in 2017 due to health issues.The group won their first win three years after their debut, in 2018, with "Secret Garden". Since then, their popularity has only been growing. They received even more love from the Korean public after they competed on Mnet's "Queendom", where they finished first runner-up. Their latest comebacl, "Nonstop", is considered their breakthrough track, peaking at number 2 on the Gaon Digital Chart.
The group consists of: Hyojung, Mimi, YooA, Seunghee, Jiho, Binnie, and Arin.
6. Red Velvet
The group debuted as four members in 2014 with "Happiness" with members Irene, Seulgi, Joy, and Wendy. Member Yeri would join the group in 2015 for their "Ice Cream Cake" comeback. Red Velvet is highly regarded as one of the most popular K-pop groups worldwide by Time and Billboard, and are known as major contributors and one of the country's most talented groups who help spread the Hallyu wave.
The girls have two sides to their music - the velvet, which has more sensual, sophisticated feelings with R&B and strong 90s influences; and the red, which is mostly pop and electronic and more colorful compared to their velvet side.
Their first sub-unit, consisting of Irene and Seulgi, will be debuting in July.
5. SEVENTEEN
The group debuted in 2015 under Pledis Entertainment. Within the 13-member group, there are three sub-units: Performance unit, Hip-Hop unit, and the Vocal unit. SEVENTEEN is dubbed as a "self-producing idol group", as all the members have been involved in songwriting, choreographing, composing, and other aspects of their performance. In 2018, Time Magazine named SEVENTEEN as one of the best K-pop groups.
This amazing group just recently unveiled their new album "Heng-garae," selling over 460,000 copies on the first day of release. Their new title track "Left and Right" also topped various music charts, locally and internationally.
The members are: Seungkwan, Vernon, Woozi, Mingyu, Jeonghan, Wonwoo, Joshua, Dino, Hoshi, S.Coups, Jun, The8, and DK.
4. IZ*ONE
The group was formed following the girl's appearance on Mnet's "Produce 48" in which girls from Korean entertainment agency and the AKB48 groups competed for a spot in the final line-up. They debuted in 2018 and were an instant commercial success, subsequently winning them the "New Artist of the Year" award at several awards ceremonies. In late 2019, the group halted activities due to the Mnet vote manipulation investigation. They returned to their activities in 2020.
The group consists of: Jang Wonyoung, Kwon Eunbi, Kim Minju, Kang Hyewon, Ahn Yujin, Choi Yena, Lee Chaeyeon, Kim Chaewon, Jo Yuri, Miyawaki Sakura, Hondi Hitomi, and Nabuki Nako.
3. TWICE
TWICE was formed by the Mnet x JYP Entertainment survival show "SIXTEEN," in which seven of the members were selected by the finalists, and two members were selected by Park Jinyoung. Tzuyu was added to the group for being the fan favorite and Momo - who was eliminated in a previous episode - was chosen for her dance skills by the A&R team and the trainers, and they joined Jihyo, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Dahyun, Mina, Chaeyoung, and Sana.
The group debuted in 2015 and rose to fame with "Cheer Up." TWICE is the first Korean girl group to earn a Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. They also ranked third in the Top Artist category of Billboard Japan's 2017 Year-End ranking.
Further, they are also the first K-pop act to hold a Japanese dome tour. They have since expanded to promote in the United States.
2. BLACKPINK
The group debuted in 2016 under YG Entertainment with "BOOMBAYAH," which also happens to be their first number-one hit. BLACKPINK consists of four members: Jisoo, Jennie, Rose, and Lisa. The group saw early commercial success, subsequently winning the "New Artists of the Year" at the 31st Golden Disc Awards and the 26th Seoul Music Awards. They are the highest-charting female K-Pop act on both the Billboard 100 and Billboard 200 with "Kill This Love." They are the first and only K-Pop group to enter the Billboard "Emerging Artists" chart and are the first female K-pop group to have four number-one singles on the Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart. BLACKPINK is also the most subscribed music group on YouTube.
The group released "How You Like That" in June 26, Friday. It is their first comeback in a year and 2 months.
1. BTS
BTS debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment are known for co-writing and producing most of their material. They touched the hearts of their audience with their lyrics, which usually focus on personal and social commentary, mental illness, troubles of adolescence, loving and being oneself.
With "Wings" being BTS's first album to sell one million copies in South Korea, the boys were able to bring their music to the West, leading the Hallyu Wave into the United States and breaking numerous records. They are the first Korean group to receive certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. They are the first Korean act to top the Billboard 200 with "Love Yourself: Tear" and have hit the top of the U.S. charts numerous times. They are the fastest group since the Beatles to earn four number one albums in less than 2 years.
Further, BTS is the best-selling artist in South Korean history and were the second best-selling artists of 2018. Media outlets have dubbed then as the "Princes of Pop" and were in Time's 100 most influential people in the world list in 2019
They are the youngest ever recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit from the President of South Korea.
The group consists of: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook.
