According to a poll conducted by Gallup Korea from August 19 to 23, commissioned by Star News, BTS secured the top spot with a 43 percent approval rating in a poll asking “Who is the nation’s best singer/group?” (respondents could choose up to two). The poll surveyed 1,052 men and women between the ages of 19 and 69 across South Korea.
Since their debut in 2013, BTS has been at the forefront of the global K-pop wave. In 2017, they won the “Top Social Artist” award at the Billboard Music Awards in the United States. In 2020, their hit “Dynamite” became the first Korean song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2021, they won the Artist of the Year award at the American Music Awards, cementing their status as global superstars.
Their unprecedented success in K-pop history is reflected in the survey results. BTS received strong support from all demographics, including gender, age, region, and occupation. In particular, they received the highest support among 19-29 year-olds (44%), 30-year-olds (39%), and 40-year-olds (53%).
After BTS, veteran singer Cho Yong-pil came in second with a 33% approval rating. Cho Yong-pil is a living legend, known for leading the original “oppa craze” in the 1980s. Before BTS, he was often considered the singer most deserving of the title of “nation.” Although his best years are now behind him, Cho Yong-pil has maintained his status as the “King of Singers” for over 50 years of continuous activity. He received the most votes from those in their 50s (46%) and 60s (50%), and ranked second to BTS among those in their 30s (24%) and 40s (25%).
Singer IU came in third with a 19% approval rating. Debuting at the age of 15 in 2008, IU has since become a dominant singer-songwriter with significant influence in the music industry. She has received particularly high support from those aged 19-29 (39%) and those in their 30s (22%).
After IU, Lim Young-woong ranked fourth with 18%, while trotting legend Na Hoon-ah came in fifth with 17%.
Meanwhile, BLACKPINK ranked 6th with 9%, while legendary singer Lee Mi-ja ranked 7th with 7%. Seo Taiji, Girls’ Generation, and god tied for 8th with 6% each. BIGBANG ranked 11th with 5%, followed by Nam Jin, Lee Seung-chul, Kim Gun-mo, Shin Seung-hoon, Lee Hyori, and HOT, all tied for 12th with 4%. Wonder Girls ranked 18th with 2%, and Rain and Roo’Ra tied for 19th with 1%. The “Others” category accounted for 2%.
This poll was conducted to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Star News. The margin of error is ±3.0 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Source: Daum
