Jungkook and IU Named Top K-Pop Stars in Worldwide Poll
Jungkook of BTS and solo star IU have been crowned the most popular male and female K-pop artists worldwide, based on a recent international survey released by Arirang TV on July 8. The survey collected votes from 601 fans across 94 countries between June 23 and July 7, painting a clear picture of who fans currently favor in the global K-pop scene.
Among male idols, Jungkook took the lead with 12.7% of the votes, followed closely by BTS bandmates Jimin at 11.1%, RM with 6.9%, V at 6.5%, and J-Hope with 6.0%. SHINee’s Taemin also ranked high at 4.9%, with BTS’s Jin just behind him at 3.7%.
On the female side, IU dominated the list with 17.0%, a solid margin over BLACKPINK’s Rosé in second place at 11.3%. BLACKPINK members Jennie and Lisa tied with 10.6% each, while aespa’s Karina got 5.5% and BLACKPINK’s Jisoo came in at 5.1%.
When it comes to how fans are tuning into Korean content, more than half (55.1%) said YouTube is their go-to platform. Following that, social media like Instagram and Facebook accounted for 14.4%, OTT streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ took 12.1%, and short-form videos on platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts made up 7.7%. Traditional television broadcasts still have a presence but are far less popular at 6.7%. Other sources like news sites and live performances each accounted for fewer than 4% of responses.
Geographically, the survey saw the most participants from the United States, making up 17.6% of the total respondents. The Philippines and Japan tied next with 6.9% each, followed by South Korea at 5.1%. India and the UK both had 4.7% of the voters, China had 4.5%, Malaysia 3.7%, Indonesia 3.6%, Canada and Vietnam each 3.4%, and Thailand at 3.0%.
Fans from all over the world were involved, including countries like France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Bangladesh, Argentina, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Italy. Interestingly, the survey even included responses from places you don’t usually hear about in this context, like Oman, Bhutan, and Tunisia.
"These results clearly demonstrate the global reach of K-content. We also received responses from diverse countries such as Oman, Bhutan, and Tunisia."
Arirang TV representative
Breaking down the numbers by region, nearly half of the respondents (47.2%) were from Asia, followed by North America at 23.4%, Europe at 19.5%, South America with 4.5%, Africa at 3.0%, Oceania 1.9%, and a small remainder 0.6% from other regions.
Arirang TV highlighted the significance of these findings with the following statement:
"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."
It’s clear K-pop isn’t just dominating South Korea anymore; it’s become a massive global cultural force, fueled by platforms that allow fans everywhere to connect with their favorite artists.