BTS’s Jungkook and solo artist IU have been named the most popular male and female K-pop stars among global fans, according to a recent international survey.
Arirang TV (President Kim Tae-jung) released the results on July 8 from a joint survey conducted between June 23 and July 7, targeting viewers from around the world. A total of 601 respondents from 94 countries participated in the poll.
In the category of most preferred male K-pop artist, Jungkook received the highest number of votes at 12.7%, followed by fellow BTS members Jimin (11.1%), RM (6.9%), V (6.5%), and J-Hope (6.0%). SHINee’s Taemin ranked next with 4.9%, with BTS’s Jin close behind at 3.7%.
For female artists, IU topped the list with 17.0% of the votes. BLACKPINK’s Rosé came in second with 11.3%, followed by Jennie and Lisa, each with 10.6%. aespa’s Karina (5.5%) and BLACKPINK’s Jisoo (5.1%) also made the top rankings.
When asked how they access Korean content, the majority of respondents (55.1%) cited YouTube as their primary platform. This was followed by social media such as Instagram and Facebook (14.4%), OTT platforms like Netflix and Disney+ (12.1%), short-form video platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts (7.7%), and television broadcasts (6.7%). Other methods, such as news or live performances, accounted for less than 4.0%.
Among the 94 participating countries, the United States made up the largest portion of respondents at 17.6%, followed by the Philippines (6.9%), Japan (6.9%), South Korea (5.1%), India (4.7%), the UK (4.7%), China (4.5%), Malaysia (3.7%), Indonesia (3.6%), Canada (3.4%), Vietnam (3.4%), and Thailand (3.0%).
Additional responses came from countries around the world including France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Bangladesh, Argentina, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Italy.
An Arirang TV representative stated, “These results clearly demonstrate the global reach of K-content. We also received responses from diverse countries such as Oman, Bhutan, and Tunisia.”
By region, the largest number of participants were from Asia (47.2%), followed by North America (23.4%), Europe (19.5%), South America (4.5%), Africa (3.0%), Oceania (1.9%), and others (0.6%).
Arirang TV added, “This survey highlights how K-pop and K-content have evolved beyond trends to become a global cultural phenomenon. The dominance of YouTube and social media as content platforms, along with participation from a wide range of ages, nationalities, and genders, indicates the scalability and sustainability of Korean content worldwide.”
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