The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for individual boy group members!

The rankings were determined through an analysis of the consumer participation, media coverage, communication, and community awareness indexes of 703 boy group members, using big data collected from August 17 to September 17.

BTS’s Jimin held onto his spot at the top of the list this month with a brand reputation index of 5,365,458 marking his 44th non-consecutive month at No. 1.

High-ranking phrases in Jimin’s keyword analysis included “With You,” “ARMY,” and “hanbok,” while his highest-ranking related terms included “congratulate,” “approve of,” and “record.” Jimin’s positivity-negativity analysis also revealed a score of 87.69 percent positive reactions.

Meanwhile, ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo similarly maintained his position at second place with a brand reputation index of 4,539,716 for September.

Wanna One’s Kang Daniel rose to third place with a brand reputation index of 4,097,956, marking an impressive 126.13 percent rise in his score since last month.

Finally, BTS’s Jungkook and Jin rounded out the top five at fourth and fifth places respectively.

Check out the top 30 for this month below!

1. BTS’s Jimin
2. ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo
3. Wanna One’s Kang Daniel
4. BTS’s Jungkook
5. BTS’s Jin
6. BIGBANG’s G-Dragon
7. BTS’s V
8. Wanna One’s Ong Seong Wu
9. WINNER’s Kang Seung Yoon
10. Wanna One’s Kim Jae Hwan
11. WINNER’s Song Mino
12. NU’EST and Wanna One’s Minhyun
13. BTS’ Suga
14. Wanna One’s Ha Sung Woon
15. SHINee’s Key
16. Super Junior’s Kim Heechul
17. BTS’s RM
18. BTS’s J-Hope
19. Wanna One’s Park Ji Hoon
20. SHINee’s Minho
21. Super Junior’s Kyuhyun
22. WINNER’s Kim Jin Woo
23. THE BOYZ’s Hyunjae
24. SEVENTEEN’s Mingyu
25. Wanna One’s Yoon Ji Sung
26. NCT’s Jaehyun
27. MONSTA X’s Hyungwon
28. SEVENTEEN’s Wonwoo
29. 2PM’s Lee Junho
30. SEVENTEEN’s Jeonghan

Watch Cha Eun Woo in “True Beauty” with subtitles below!

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The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for male idol groups!

The rankings were determined through an analysis of the consumer participation, media coverage, interaction, and community indexes of various boy groups, using big data collected from August 10 to September 10.

BTS topped the list for the 52nd consecutive month with a brand reputation index of 9,734,185, marking a 21.83 percent rise in their score since August. High-ranking phrases in BTS’s keyword analysis included “expo,” “Busan concert,” and “military service exemption,” while their highest-ranking related terms included “perform,” “suspicious,” and “hold.” The group’s positivity-negativity analysis also revealed a score of 67.09 percent positive reactions.

SEVENTEEN held onto their spot at second place with a brand reputation index of 4,745,420, marking a slight increase of 2.90 percent in their score since last month.

THE BOYZ rose to third place after seeing an impressive 98.63 percent increase in their brand reputation index since August, bringing their total score to 4,297,527 for September.

NCT took fourth place with a brand reputation index of 3,036,566, marking a 17.94 percent rise in their score since last month.

Finally, MONSTA X rounded out the top five with a brand reputation index of 2,848,823, marking a whopping 94.26 percent increase in their score since August.

Check out the top 30 for this month below!

1. BTS
2. SEVENTEEN
3. THE BOYZ
4. NCT
5. MONSTA X
6. Super Junior
7. EXO
8. WINNER
9. ASTRO
10. TXT
11. SHINee
12. BIGBANG
13. ENHYPEN
14. BTOB
15. INFINITE
16. Stray Kids
17. Highlight
18. 2PM
19. ATEEZ
20. Shinhwa
21. Wanna One
22. ONF
23. Golden Child
24. TVXQ
25. VERIVERY
26. TREASURE
27. VIXX
28. GOT7
29. SF9
30. PENTAGON

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BTS’s RM and BIGBANG’s Taeyang thrilled fans by sharing a cute photo together!

On August 30, RM took to Instagram Stories to reveal that he and Taeyang hung out at a book launch party held by Mok Press, a publishing company run by photographer Mok Jungwook.

Posting a photo that he and Taeyang snapped together with Mok Jungwook, RM tagged both of the other men and wrote in the caption, “Congratulations.”

Taeyang also posted a similar clip on his own Instagram story, tagging RM and Mok Jungwook in the caption.

This isn’t the first time that RM and Taeyang have crossed paths at a party this summer: both singers also attended J-Hope‘s star-studded listening party for his solo album “Jack In The Box” last month.

Would you be interested in seeing a collab between RM and Taeyang?

The world has changed so much in the past decade or so, and the K-pop industry inevitably followed suit. Yet, the early generations of idols have forever left their print on the music scene, both domestically and internationally—which was much more challenging to achieve back when social media coverage wasn’t as universal as it is today.

Not long ago, a handful of our beloved K-pop pioneers greeted us with reunions that were unexpected, heartwarming, and spectacular. Walking down memory lane in the present time, here are eight wholesome reunions of K-pop legends that we simply can’t get over.

1. 2NE1 at Coachella

The announcement that CL would be performing at Coachella snatched hearts left and right, but when she welcomed Dara, Bom, and Minzy on stage, it was enough to make Blackjacks (2NE1’s fandom) lose it. The long-awaited reunion of this legendary quartet has been a wish come true, and we just can’t get enough of it. Learn all about this epic reveal in the video down below!

2. Girls’ Generation’s 15th anniversary

It’s been five years since Girls’ Generation last got together as a full group, but for their 15th debut anniversary, the best way to celebrate was by making a comeback. The members released their seventh studio album, which is quite a feat, to say the least. Their title track and its MV vividly remind us of Girls’ Generation’s essence, making this reunion truly nostalgic.

3. BIGBANG’s long-overdue comeback

When BIGBANG was preparing to leave for the military, they released “Flower Road” as a farewell song back in 2018. There was a time when fans feared that that may be the last we’d hear of them. Thankfully, the now-quartet blessed us four years later with a beautiful ballad that walks its listeners down a seasonal memory lane.

4. SISTAR on “Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook”

When SISTAR announced their disbandment in 2017, the K-pop community was shattered. Still, the quartet has remained close friends, as they support each other’s music careers and have even collaborated on duets. The icing on the cake? They recently came together onstage for the final episode of “Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook” to perform a medley of their greatest hits. Talk about iconic!

You can watch “Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook” here:

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5. KARA’s 15th anniversary reunion

Another female group that celebrated their 15th anniversary this year is none other than KARA. All five former members got together to commemorate the moment. Leader Park Gyuri wrote a heartfelt message to caption the group’s celebratory photo, and lovingly tagged the late member Goo Hara. This beautiful moment goes to show that the bond of a group lives on beyond all life challenges.

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A post shared by 박규리 ? (@gyuri_88)

6. 2PM’s viral moment

Remember when the 2015 track “My House” went viral two years ago? This rewarding event brought the song back to the charts, and a surge of new fans came through running. Of course, JYP Entertainment blessed their audience with unreleased footage of the song as a bonus concert. Furthermore, 2PM performed the belatedly-viral hit live on the MMTG Youtube channel, sending us back to the good old times. The group also made a comeback with “Make It,” their first in almost five years.

7. After School’s nostalgic get-together

Speaking of bringing back old gems, MMTG has done it again. This time, After School was on the guest list. Members Jung Ah, Jooyeon, Bekah, Raina, and Kahi got together to have a little chat with JaeJae and perform a couple of their greatest hits, “Bang!” and “Diva.” Throughout the interview, all sorts of feelings were navigated as they moved from one topic to another.

8. T-ara’s first comeback since 2018

T-ara gave fans more than one reason to celebrate and enjoy their 12th anniversary back in 2021. In fact, the four members announced through their live broadcast that they would be making a comeback after a four-year hiatus. The double-track single album embraces a darker concept than usual, where T-ara serves powerful vocals that literally bring the two tracks to life.

Which wholesome reunion by a K-pop legend are you still not over? Let us know in the comments below!

Esmee L. is a Moroccan lively dreamer, writer, and Hallyu enthusiast.

The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for individual boy group members!

The rankings were determined through an analysis of the consumer participation, media coverage, communication, and community awareness indexes of 703 boy group members, using big data collected from July 20 to August 20.

BTS’s Jimin held onto his spot at the top of the list this month with a brand reputation index of 6,009,493, marking his 43rd non-consecutive month at No. 1.

High-ranking phrases in Jimin’s keyword analysis included “Bad Decisions,” “ARMY,” and “Jimin effect,” while his highest-ranking related terms included “release,” “collaborate,” and “compose.” Jimin’s positivity-negativity analysis also revealed a score of 87.50 percent positive reactions.

ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo rose to second place for August with a brand reputation index of 4,934,171, marking a 17.89 percent increase in his score since last month.

BTS’s Jungkook maintained his position at third place with a brand reputation index of 4,620,074, while his bandmate V came in at a close fourth with an index of 4,338,392.

Finally, NU’EST and Wanna One’s Minhyun rounded out the top five with a brand reputation index of 3,900,101.

Check out the top 30 for this month below!

1. BTS’s Jimin
2. ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo
3. BTS’s Jungkook
4. BTS’s V
5. NU’EST and Wanna One’s Minhyun
6. BTS’s Jin
7. WINNER’s Song Mino
8. BIGBANG’s G-Dragon
9. WINNER’s Kang Seung Yoon
10. Wanna One’s Kim Jae Hwan
11. BTS’ Suga
12. SEVENTEEN’s Jun
13. Wanna One’s Kang Daniel
14. Super Junior’s Kim Heechul
15. BTS’s J-Hope
16. BTS’s RM
17. Wanna One’s Ha Sung Woon
18. Wanna One’s Park Ji Hoon
19. Super Junior’s Eunhyuk
20. SHINee’s Key
21. SF9’s Rowoon
22. SEVENTEEN’s Mingyu
23. Wanna One’s Ong Seong Wu
24. GOT7’s Jinyoung
25. SEVENTEEN’s Jeonghan
26. TXT’s Soobin
27. Super Junior’s Choi Siwon
28. Super Junior’s Kyuhyun
29. SHINee’s Minho
30. NCT’s Mark

Watch Cha Eun Woo in “True Beauty” with subtitles below!

Watch Now

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The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for male idol groups!

The rankings were determined through an analysis of the consumer participation, media coverage, interaction, and community indexes of various boy groups, using big data collected from July 13 to August 13.

BTS topped the list for the 51st consecutive month with a brand reputation index of 7,989,686, marking a 38.07 percent increase in their score since July. High-ranking phrases in BTS’s keyword analysis included “J-Hope,” “Jimin,” and “Jungkook,” while their highest-ranking related terms included “resume,” “appear,” and “surpass.” The group’s positivity-negativity analysis also revealed a score of 60.05 percent positive reactions.

SEVENTEEN held onto their spot at second place with a brand reputation index of 4,611,799, marking a 17.92 percent rise in their score since last month.

NCT also maintained their position at third place with a brand reputation index of 2,574,617, marking a 10.65 percent increase in their score since July.

WINNER came in at a close fourth after seeing a 57.42 percent increase in their brand reputation index since last month, bringing their total score to 2,308,073 for August.

Finally, EXO rounded out the top five with a brand reputation index of 2,295,026, marking a staggering 155.69 percent increase in their score since July.

Check out the top 30 for this month below!

1. BTS
2. SEVENTEEN
3. NCT
4. WINNER
5. EXO
6. Super Junior
7. THE BOYZ
8. ENHYPEN
9. SHINee
10. ASTRO
11. MONSTA X
12. BIGBANG
13. TXT
14. Stray Kids
15. BTOB
16. FTISLAND
17. ATEEZ
18. SF9
19. INFINITE
20. TREASURE
21. Highlight
22. NU’EST
23. 2PM
24. Wanna One
25. Shinhwa
26. Golden Child
27. PENTAGON
28. ONF
29. GOT7
30. TVXQ

Watch NCT’s Doyoung in his new rom-com drama “Dear X Who Doesn’t Love Me” below!

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Just when you think you’ve seen it all in K-pop, another concept sees the light of day. Paradoxically, the theme is dark and sometimes crowned with gothic vibes. This genre is not new to K-pop as we’ve witnessed it before a fair share of times over a decade ago. Luckily, this hasn’t stopped it from resurfacing every now and then with spooky storylines that range from psychological thrillers all the way to witchcraft.

Featuring some of the most haunting videographies to date, here are nine dark K-pop music videos with gothic vibes.

1. VIXX – “hyde”

VIXX took on the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and reproduced it with their own dark twist. Some of the intriguing details include the black-feathered angel wings, the switch between black and white outfits to represent Dr. Jekyll vs. Mr. Hyde, and the overall spine-chilling stage.

2. Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi – “Monster”

These fine ladies have stepped away from Red Velvet’s usual colorful concept and joined the dark side in this goosebump-worthy music video. From outfits to makeup, Irene and Seulgi embrace their inner goth that expresses itself vividly through both the lyrics and the choreography.

3. TXT – “Good Boy Gone Bad”

Black looks so good on TXT, and this mature concept puts them under a completely different (and breathtaking) light. The spooky cemetery, the vampire-like makeup, and the rebellious attitude all emphasize the boys’ gothic spirit up until the very last frame.

4. Dreamcatcher – “Chase Me”

Dreamcatcher’s concept has always been predominantly sinister, but “Chase Me” remains their freakiest music video to date. Ritual robes, ominous seances, creepy dolls, haunted hallways, and candles everywhere: could this get any darker?

5. BIGBANG’s G-Dragon – “COUP D’ETAT”

A red, white, and black palette is G-Dragon’s color of choice for this revolutionary videography. While the music video portrays various representations of a coup, the artist’s attire is straight out of goth town with his thick black eyeliner, chaotic mullet, and eerie performance.

6. 2NE1 – “IT HURTS”

In this poignant clip, 2NE1 went all in. The creepy attic, the death-based dining table, and the overall melancholic vibe of the music video together complement the quartet’s goth-inspired wardrobe and makeup without fault.

7. BTS’s J-Hope – “MORE”

I’m so used to J-Hope being all bubbly that his rock solo concept took me by surprise. The rapper channels an edgy style through his black and white jumpers, jester accessories, and emo makeup. Furthermore, his energy throughout the music video screams “goth.”

8. (G)I-DLE – “Oh my god”

The members’ first attempt at a dark concept may have been different from what we’re used to. Still, it has proven to be fruitful with this aesthetically pleasing music video where any sign of goth lies mainly in the girls’ looks and during the choreography parts.

9. ONEUS – “TO BE OR NOT TO BE”

ONEUS is surreal in this chilling adaptation of Hamlet’s “TO BE OR NOT TO BE.” Everything in this visual masterpiece borrows from the gothic trope: blood baths, gloomy scenes, and fitting costumes. Finally, the powerful choreography crowns it all.

Honorable mentions:

Dahye – “Bad Blood”

Sunmi – “Full Moon”

PURPLE KISS – “Can We Talk Again”

Pink Fantasy – “Tales of the Unusual”

Which K-pop music video do you think has the most haunting, gothic vibes? Let us know in the comments below!

Esmee L. is a Moroccan lively dreamer, writer, and Hallyu enthusiast.