The member of BTS Jungkook and the solo artist IU have emerged as the most famous K-Pop idols globally, according to a new international survey published by Aryrang TV.
The results of the survey demonstrate the lasting charm of established stars and solo artists in the K-pop landscape all over the world.
The president of TV Aritrang Kim Tae-Jung has announced the Results On July 8, 2025, following a complete survey conducted between 23 June and 7 July. The survey collected the responses of 601 participants in 94 countries, targeting the spectators of the South Korean international broadcaster.
Jungkook assured the maximum position between male k-pop artists with 12.7% of the votes, despite having recently finished its mandatory military service. His companions BTS have dominated the male category, with Jimin who follows 11.1%closely, 6.9%RM, V 6.5%and J-Hope at 6.0%. Shinee’s Taemin ranked sixth with 4.9%, while BTS’s Jin claimed seventh place with 3.7%. In particular, Suga was the only BTS member who did not make the first seven rankings.
In the female category, solo artist IU dominated With 17.0% of the votes, significantly overcoming its closest competitors. The singer-actress, who is currently promoting her “When life dà tanderines”, has shown her lasting charm in multiple generations.
The members of Blackpink filled the remaining best points, with Rosé who secured the second place to 11.3%, followed by Jennie and Lisa linked to 10.6% each. The fourth generation group Aespa Karina ranked fifth with 5.5%, while Jisoo di Blackpink completed the first six with 5.1%.
The results of the survey highlights several significant trends in the K-Pop sector, with the victory of Jungkook which demonstrates how individual members of BTS maintain their popularity even during military service and fans continue to support their favorite artists despite the group’s inactivity. Research has shown that BTS members have maintained their connection with fans through solo projects, documentaries and charity activities during their service period.
IU command in the female category consolidates his status as “in love with his nation” and his ability to transcend the generational borders. Its constant popularity in multiple surveys, including the previous surveys of the Gallup Korea in which it has often exceeded the similar charts, demonstrates its lasting charm.
Strong presence Blackpink members in the best rankings confirms the continuous global influence of the group, even if the individual members pursue solo careers. In the meantime, the inclusion of Aespa Karina among the best female idols reflects the growing importance of fourth generation K-Pop groups in the international market.
The results of this survey are aligned with wider trends in the consumption of K-Pop, in which YouTube remains the dominant platform for international fans to access content, while social media platforms are increasingly needed as secondary sources for the involvement of K-pop. The results also reflect the evolution in progress of the K-Pop industry, in which both groups of third generation established and the emerging fourth generation artists compete for global attention.
