(MHN Yoon Jiwon) G-DRAGON of the group BIGBANG has once again proven his status as a leading force in K-pop, ranking first in the personal boy group category of the ‘K-Brand Index’.

According to an announcement on the 23rd by the Asia Brand Research Institute, a prominent big data evaluation body, G-DRAGON claimed the top spot in the boy group individual ranking of the K-Brand Index. 

The K-Brand Index is a proprietary big data analysis system developed by the Asia Brand Research Institute in collaboration with domestic and international research teams. Unlike other companies, this index employs a rigorous selection and verification process, overseen by advisory panels in each field, from candidate sampling to final index determination.

For this year’s boy group individual ranking, the institute analyzed over 1.1 billion data points spanning from May 21 to June 21, covering 755 individual members from various boy groups.

G-DRAGON took first place, followed by BTS’s Jimin in second and EXO’s Baekhyun in third. The top 10 list also includes BTS’s Jungkook (4th), ASTRO’s Cha Eun-woo (5th), Wanna One’s Park Ji-hoon (6th), SEVENTEEN’s Jeonghan (7th), BTS’s V (8th), NCT’s Doyoung (9th), and RIIZE’s Wonbin (10th).

Han Jung-geun, CEO of the Asia Brand Research Institute, commented, “As China signals a potential relaxation of the Hallyu ban, the K-pop industry—seen as a major beneficiary—is experiencing heightened anticipation. The ban is more than just content censorship; it’s symbolic of the broader diplomatic relationship between South Korea and China. If government policy pragmatism aligns with entertainment companies’ renewed market entry, we may see a pivotal turning point for a new K-pop boom.”

Han also noted, “G-DRAGON’s rise to No. 1 in the K-Brand Index’s boy group individual category cements his role as a pioneer in K-pop. Recently, he has drawn attention not just for his unique musicality, but also for his fashion label, Peaceminusone. Should his signature collaborations succeed, there is strong potential for him to emerge as a leading figure in Korea’s creative content sector.”

The K-Brand Index, which selects top brands across different sectors in Korea, is calculated using a composite score based on factors such as trend, media, social presence, community activity, activation (TA), positive, and negative indices, with weighting criteria applied except for negative factors.

Founded in April 2016, the Asia Brand Research Institute annually recognizes top companies and individuals with the ‘K-Brand Awards,’ based on its comprehensive big data evaluations.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo = MHN DB, Asia Brand Research Institute