BTS Takes 1st, SEVENTEEN 2nd, BIGBANG 3rd in May Boy Group Brand Rankings!

The Korea Brand Reputation Research Institute announced the results of their May 2026 Boy Group Brand Reputation Big Data analysis on May 9, revealing BTS in first place, SEVENTEEN in second, and BIGBANG in third.

The Korea Brand Reputation Research Institute measured participation, media, communication, and community indexes for boy group brands through consumer behavior analysis, using 57,899,924 pieces of boy group brand big data collected from April 9, 2026, to May 9, 2026. This represents a 27.59% decrease compared to the 79,966,049 pieces of boy group brand big data collected in April.

The brand reputation index is a metric created through big data analysis, recognizing that consumers’ online habits significantly influence brand consumption. Boy group brand reputation analysis measures positive and negative evaluations, media interest, and consumer engagement and communication for boy groups. Brand reputation recommendation data provided by consumers is also included as a weighted factor.

Coming in second, SEVENTEEN (S.COUPS, JEONGHAN, JOSHUA, JUN, HOSHI, WONWOO, WOOZI, DK, MINGYU, THE 8, SEUNGKWAN, VERNON, DINO) achieved a brand reputation index of 4,641,979. Their participation index was 83,228, media index 626,081, communication index 1,899,262, and community index 2,033,410. This marks an impressive 18.61% increase compared to their April brand reputation index of 3,913,634.

Securing third place, BIGBANG (G-DRAGON, TAEYANG, DAESUNG) recorded a brand reputation index of 3,362,832. Their participation index was 79,666, media index 708,508, communication index 1,004,047, and community index 1,570,611. This shows a significant 22.94% rise from their April brand reputation index of 2,735,238.

In fourth place, KORTIS (MARTIN, JAMES, JUHOON, SUNGHYUN, GEONHO) achieved a brand reputation index of 3,142,397. Their participation index was 152,276, media index 939,735, communication index 1,306,622, and community index 743,764. This marks a massive 68.03% increase compared to their April brand reputation index of 1,870,149.

Rounding out the top five, EXO (SUHO, CHANYEOL, KAI, D.O., BAEKHYUN, SEHUN, XIUMIN, CHEN, LAY) earned a brand reputation index of 2,489,847. Their participation index was 50,553, media index 585,755, communication index 818,159, and community index 1,035,380. This is a slight 2.85% decrease from their April brand reputation index of 2,562,765.

Furthermore, the brand big data analysis revealed that for BTS, who ranked first in the May 2026 Boy Group Brand Reputation, link analysis showed high scores for ‘sold out,’ ‘invite,’ and ‘breakthrough.’ Keyword analysis highlighted ‘ARMY,’ ‘Arirang,’ and ‘Mexico.’ In the positive-negative ratio analysis, a positive ratio of 93.47% was observed. A detailed analysis of BTS’s brand reputation showed a 77.19% decrease in brand consumption, a 64.32% decrease in brand issues, a 52.23% decrease in brand communication, and a 48.67% decrease in brand spread.

The May 2026 Boy Group Brand Reputation analysis included BTS, SEVENTEEN, BIGBANG, KORTIS, EXO, Wanna One, SHINee, THE BOYZ, NCT, TWS, ENHYPEN, Super Junior, Stray Kids, TVXQ, KICKFLIP, 2PM, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, BTOB, MONSTA X, ASTRO, TREASURE, ATEEZ, VIXX, HIGHLIGHT, INFINITE, ZEROBASEONE, ALPHADRIVEONE, BOYNEXTDOOR, EVNNE, B1A4, RIIZE, CRAVITY, GOT7, 2AM, ONF, IDIT, PENTAGON, FTISLAND, SF9, Block B, VERIVERY, TEEN TOP, NEXZ, SHINHWA, AMPERS&ONE, A.C.E, CIX, NOWADAYS, IDENTITY, and Xdinary Heroes.