Yes, a leader is responsible to be the representative member of a K-Pop group, but of all, these talented and hard-working individuals are leaders who go above and beyond to care for their members, fans, and staff. These leaders are able to navigate through difficult times and emerge championing their groups to greatness. Popularity aside, few leaders are able to bring their members together through hardship and tribulations to see success on the other side. Of these incredible individuals, here are the 8 strongest K-Pop group leaders in the industry right now:

NCT Taeyong

Of the new groups, one of the most promising leaders is NCT's Taeyong. Ravishing good looks and charismatic personality aside, this group is very young, and Taeyong has to keep an eye on all these playful punks. Though SM is highly criticized by many, we cannot argue that SM doesn't train its leaders well to be mentally strong with a level of perseverance unseen by other rookie groups. Taeyong is a great example of this preparation, and as the group gains more notoriety, we expect to see Taeyong leading them to grand victories.

MONSTA X Shownu

MONSTA X took a while to glow up. There were a number of debuts and comebacks that always seemed to overshadow the group. Despite these constant disappointments for Monbebes, it seems that the group is finally getting the attention they deserve, especially thanks to their latest release with Steve Aoki. The group, now set for a North American stadium tour, has Shownu to thank. Not only has his diligence paid off for the group, but his paternal nature has taken care of the rest of the group members well and prepared them for this moment.

A PINK Chorong



Chorong is an underrated super-leader. The group has the utmost faith in her as A PINK's leader and despite the fact that they've never reached the level of international acclaim as their girl group counterparts, Chorong's steadfast commitment to Pink Pandas and APINK convinced the rest of the group to re-sign their contracts without hesitation. Chorong is hard-working, earnest, and intelligent- all extremely useful traits of a successful leader.

BTS RM

Namjoon has beaten the odds with BTS. When asked if he would go solo or be with BTS, he chooses BTS without hesitation because he knows the value each member brings in addition to the hard work they put forth. BTS is a special case, wherein, upon debut, many odds were against them to succeed. Despite coming from a small company, RM has put every ounce of his dedication to the group at the forefront of his role as a leader.

Shinhwa Eric

Eric is single-handedly the reason why Shinhwa still exists as a whole. Eric is a great example of a selfless leader who never puts himself before his group. Every effort and appearance Eric does is a clear indication of his dedication to Shinhwa. Eric goes above and beyond as a leader by taking extra good care of his members. He balanced finances during financial hardship and even studied law when Shinhwa was going through legal struggles.

EXO Suho

Suho has gone through a lot with all the various EXO sub-units, scandals, and departures. Not to mention the fact that the group is slightly in need of Suho's high-functioning abilities. Some netizens compare Suho to an older brother figure who gives you a hard time, but when push comes to shove, will come to bail you out of any trouble you're in.

Girls' Generation Taeyeon

Despite her wildly successful solo act as simply, Taeyeon, she still opts to call her fans "Sones". This is just one example of Taeyeon's steadfast dedication to Girls' Generation. Of many K-Pop leaders, Taeyeon is able to keep the group mostly in its entirety and has done so for over ten years. She continues to shine and push the group forward well into 2019.

Super Junior Leeteuk

Super Junior has weathered the storm of popularity for over a decade and that can be attributed to Leeteuk's incredible leadership. The group is close-knit and love each other like family. Leeteuk, in particular, has always put himself second to the needs of the group and the way that the group shows mutual respect to him is indicative of his strength as a leader.