BTS Leads May Rankings; SEVENTEEN, BIGBANG Behind

BTS has once again secured the top spot in the May 2026 boy group brand reputation rankings, continuing the group’s dominance in K-pop brand power analysis.

According to the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute on May 9, a total of 57,899,924 pieces of boy group-related big data collected between April 9 and May 9 were analyzed through consumer behavior metrics.

The institute evaluated participation, media exposure, communication, and community engagement indexes to determine overall brand reputation scores.

BTS Remains No. 1 Despite Score Drop

BTS members RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook recorded a total brand reputation index of 10,428,385.

The group’s breakdown included:

• Participation Index: 170,839
• Media Index: 1,949,930
• Communication Index: 3,435,383
• Community Index: 4,872,234

Although BTS remained comfortably in first place, the score reflected a 54.46% decrease compared to April’s brand reputation index of 22,897,786.

SEVENTEEN and BIGBANG Continue Strong Momentum

SEVENTEEN ranked second with a brand reputation index of 4,641,979, marking an 18.61% increase compared to April.

The group’s performance was driven by strong fan communication and community engagement indicators as members including S.Coups, Hoshi, Mingyu, and others maintained active promotions and global popularity.

Meanwhile, legendary group BIGBANG ranked third with a brand reputation score of 3,362,832—up 22.94% from the previous month.

The trio of G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung continues attracting major public attention through both music and entertainment appearances.

BTS Keywords Reflect Mexico Visit Buzz

Institute director Koo Chang-hwan explained that BTS-related keyword analysis highlighted terms such as “sold out,” “invited,” and “surpassed” as major associated links.

The most discussed keywords connected to BTS this month reportedly included “ARMY,” “Arirang,” and “Mexico.”

The ranking surge was influenced in part by BTS’s recent visit to Mexico following an official invitation from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

During the visit, BTS greeted approximately 50,000 fans gathered at Zócalo after appearing alongside the president on the balcony of the presidential palace.

Top 30 Boy Group Rankings for May 2026

The institute’s Top 30 boy group rankings for May 2026 were listed as:

1. BTS
2. SEVENTEEN
3. BIGBANG
4. Cortis
5. EXO
6. Wanna One
7. SHINee
8. THE BOYZ
9. NCT
10. TWS
11. ENHYPEN
12. Super Junior
13. Stray Kids
14. TVXQ
15. KickFlip
16. 2PM
17. TXT
18. BTOB
19. MONSTA X
20. ASTRO
21. TREASURE
22. ATEEZ
23. VIXX
24. Highlight
25. INFINITE
26. ZEROBASEONE
27. ALPHA DRIVE ONE
28. BOYNEXTDOOR
29. EVNNE
30. B1A4

The latest rankings once again highlight BTS’s overwhelming global influence while also reflecting the continued strength of both veteran groups and newer-generation K-pop acts in the rapidly evolving industry.