BTS Ranks No. 1 Among K-Pop Groups in May K-Brand Index

BTS, represented by BigHit Music, took first place in the K-pop group category of the May 2026 K-Brand Index.

The Asia Brand Research Institute announced on June 8 that BTS had ranked No. 1 in the K-pop group division of its May 2026 K-Brand Index. The ranking places the group at the top of a brand evaluation focused on K-pop acts that drew significant online attention during the month.

The K-Brand Index was calculated from 4,800,682,306 pieces of online big data. The analysis covered the 30 groups with the highest search volume on portal sites from May 1 to May 31, providing a monthlong snapshot of how K-pop groups performed across online indicators.

IVE ranked second, while RIIZE came in third. The rest of the top 10 was completed by aespa, BLACKPINK, ILLIT, TWICE, Stray Kids, CORTIS, and BIGBANG, forming the leading tier of the May K-pop group index.

The K-Brand Index uses an online analysis system developed together with researchers in Korea and overseas. According to the institute, every stage of the process, from selecting candidate samples to choosing the index framework, is reviewed by experts.

The final index is compiled by adding together figures across multiple categories while excluding weighted distortions. Those categories include trend, media, social, positive and negative sentiment, activation, community, and AI index factors.

Founded in 2016, the Asia Brand Research Institute has also presented the Korea K Brand Awards each year, using big data evaluation results for companies and individuals as the basis for its selections.