BTS Tops December 2025 Brand Reputation Rankings for Boy Groups

BTS has emerged as the leader in the December 2025 brand reputation rankings for boy groups, edging out competitors Stray Kids and SEVENTEEN. This ranking, conducted by the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute, analyzed a substantial data set of over 60 million pieces of information concerning boy group brands from November 13 to December 13, 2025.

The institute’s analysis revealed a total of 60,343,246 data points, marking a 7.75% increase from the previous month’s 56,002,394 data points. Key metrics examined included the participation index, media index, communication index, and community index of each boy group.

BTS Leads Brand Reputation Despite Decline in Metrics

BTS, securing the top position, recorded a brand reputation index of 6,827,202, which represents a 25.18% decrease from November’s index of 9,125,320. The breakdown of their metrics included a participation index of 110,491, a media index of 1,363,882, a communication index of 2,315,032, and a community index of 3,037,797.

Despite the decline in overall brand reputation, BTS demonstrated strong link analysis scores for terms such as “waiting,” “donating,” and “recording.” Koo Chang Hwan, director of the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute, noted that keyword analysis highlighted phrases like “complete group,” “together and apart,” and “ARMY.” The positive-negative ratio analysis indicated a remarkable positive rate of 92.05%.

Stray Kids and SEVENTEEN Show Growth

In second place, Stray Kids achieved a brand reputation index of 5,477,864, which is a significant 33.50% increase from November’s 4,103,138. Their metrics included a participation index of 128,780, a media index of 1,029,906, a communication index of 1,770,192, and a community index of 2,548,986.

SEVENTEEN took the third position with a brand reputation index of 4,846,859, reflecting an 18.45% rise from November’s 4,092,008. Their metrics were comprised of a participation index of 88,502, a media index of 646,622, a communication index of 1,879,079, and a community index of 2,232,655.

The data illustrates a dynamic shift in brand reputation within the boy group sector, with BTS’s strong legacy enduring even amid a decline in certain performance metrics. The insights provided by the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute offer a valuable perspective on consumer engagement and sentiment in the competitive landscape of K-pop.