BTS' Jimin, NewJeans' Minji top brand reputation rankings

Jimin of K-pop boy band BTS / Newsis

By Dong Sun-hwa

Jimin of K-pop boy band BTS and Minji of girl group NewJeans were at the top of brand reputation rankings in January, according to the Korean Business Research Institute.

Jimin ranked first on the “Reputation Index Ranking,” scoring a total of 5,713,172 points. Trailing behind were Cha Eun-woo ― a member of K-pop act Astro who has also been pursuing an acting career ― and Jungkook of BTS. They received 5,643,772 and 4,804,755 points, respectively.

The Korean Business Research Institute collected big data on 703 male K-pop stars from Dec. 14, 2022 to Jan. 14, 2023 and ranked them based on four criteria including media coverage.

“'With You,' 'Taeyang,' and 'Vibe' were some of the keywords related to Jimin,” the institute said.

On Jan. 13, Taeyang of K-pop boy group BIGBANG and Jimin put out a collaborative single titled, “Vibe,” which has been reigning atop music streaming charts around the world, such as the iTunes' global songs chart.

Minji of K-pop girl group NewJeans / Newsis

Among female K-pop stars, Minji grabbed the No. 1 spot with 4,899,310 points. BLACKPINK's Jennie and NewJeans' Hanni were No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, with Jennie earning 4,416,607 points and Hanni receiving 3,933,448 points.

The Korean Business Research Institute garnered big data of 579 female K-pop singers from Dec. 15, 2022 to Jan. 15, 2023 to determine the ranking.

“The major keywords linked to Minji were 'OMG,' 'Ditto,' and 'Attention,'” the institute explained. “Minji's score jumped by 14.81 percent compared to the index of December.”

“OMG,” “Ditto,” and “Attention” are the names of the songs released by NewJeans, one of the most sought-after rookie groups in the K-pop scene. Its latest EP, “OMG” has sold more than 700,000 copies during the first week of its release, according to sales tracker Hanteo Chart.