According to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from August 19 to 23, commissioned by Star News, BTS secured the top spot with a 43% approval rating in a poll asking “Who is the nation’s top singer/group?” (respondents could choose up to two). The survey involved 1,052 men and women aged 19 to 69 across South Korea.
Since their debut in 2013, BTS has been at the forefront of the global K-pop wave. In 2017, they won the “Top Social Artist” award at the Billboard Music Awards in the United States. In 2020, their hit song “Dynamite” became the first Korean song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2021, they won the Artist of the Year award at the American Music Awards, solidifying their status as global superstars.
Their unprecedented achievements in K-pop history are reflected in the survey results. BTS received strong support across all demographics, including gender, age, region, and occupation. Notably, they garnered the highest support among those aged 19-29 (44%), those in their 30s (39%), and those in their 40s (53%).
Following BTS, veteran singer Cho Yong-pil ranked second with a 33% approval rating. Cho Yong-pil is a living legend, known for leading the original “oppa craze” in the 1980s. Before BTS, he was often considered the singer most deserving of the “nation’s” title. Though his peak years are behind him, Cho Yong-pil has maintained his “King of Singers” status through over 50 years of continuous activity. He received the most votes from those in their 50s (46%) and 60s (50%), and ranked second after BTS among those in their 30s (24%) and 40s (25%).
Singer IU came in third with a 19% approval rating. Debuting at the age of 15 in 2008, IU has since become a dominant singer-songwriter with significant influence in the music industry. She received particularly high support from those aged 19-29 (39%) and in their 30s (22%).
Following IU, Lim Young-woong ranked fourth with 18%, and trot legend Na Hoon-ah came in 5th with 17%.
Meanwhile, BLACKPINK ranked 6th with 9%, while legendary singer Lee Mi-ja ranked 7th with 7%. Seo Taiji, Girls’ Generation, and g.o.d all tied for eighth with 6% each. BIGBANG ranked 11th with 5%, followed by Nam Jin, Lee Seung-chul, Kim Gun-mo, Shin Seung-hoon, Lee Hyori, and H.O.T., all tied for 12th with 4%. Wonder Girls ranked 18th with 2%, and Rain and Roo’Ra tied for 19th with 1%. The “Others” category accounted for 2%.
This survey was conducted to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Star News. The margin of error is ±3.0 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
Source: Daum
