BTS’ Kim Taehyung has achieved the number five spot on Forbes Korea’s list of the Top 30 K-Pop Idols for 2025. This ranking makes him the highest-placed male artist on the prestigious annual list. The achievement comes after Taehyung spent the first half of the year completing his mandatory military service, making his strong showing a significant talking point for fans and industry watchers.
The list, released on December 1, 2025, highlights the most influential K-pop artists based on a mix of global music streaming data, media and social media mentions, and direct fan voting. Taehyung, who is often known by his stage name V, was the only male idol to rank within the list’s top ten.
In its report, Forbes Korea noted his powerful and consistent influence, stating that anything he does becomes a major topic of conversation. The outlet pointed to his role in worldwide advertising campaigns and his unique impact on fashion and culture, with places he visits frequently becoming popular tourist routes for his fans.
How Forbes Korea Determined The Rankings
The Forbes Korea Idol Index for 2025 was created using a detailed method to measure an artist’s true reach and influence. The evaluation looked at seventy idols who appeared on the Circle Chart’s Global K-pop Chart between January and October 2025.
The final score combined several key areas. Global music streaming numbers were sourced from the Korea Music Content Association’s official Circle Chart. This data shows how much an idol’s music is being played around the world. Media and social media mentions were tracked to gauge the level of online buzz and news coverage each artist generated. Finally, a period of fan voting was held through the Idol Champ app from November 4 to November 14, 2025, to measure fanbase size and dedication. This combination of consumption data, public attention, and direct fan engagement provided a full picture of an idol’s impact.
“Anything and everything V does becomes a hot topic. He’s at the center of global advertising campaigns in major cities around the world, including Seoul. Whether it’s singing or fashion, V is coloring the world in every field with his own ‘V mode.’”
Fan Reactions To A Milestone Achievement
News of Taehyung’s ranking prompted a huge wave of celebration from fans across social media platforms. Many focused on the fact that he secured this top position despite being largely inactive for the first six months of 2025 while serving in the military.
Fans expressed pride that his global popularity and influence remained strong even during his absence from the music and entertainment scene. One fan on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “Taehyung did that while being inactive in the first half of 2025 while in the military”. Another supporter commented, “only five months after his military discharge, he’s already the top Korean male idol and the only man on the chart. Taehyung’s impact is on another level”.
The sentiment was one of admiration for his lasting star power, with fans calling him an “icon” and celebrating what they see as his genuine and far-reaching impact. The hashtag #FORBESKOREATOPIDOLTAEHYUNG was used widely to share congratulations.
A Landmark Year During Military Service
Taehyung’s high ranking is especially notable given his recent timeline. He enlisted for his mandatory military service on December 11, 2023, and was officially discharged on June 10, 2025. Despite being in uniform and unable to promote actively, this period was marked by a series of major accomplishments that kept him in the global spotlight.
His solo album ‘Layover’ continued to perform well, becoming the top-selling solo album in Japan for 2023 according to the Oricon year-end chart. He also released new music, including the all-English single “FRI(END)S” in March 2024, which topped South Korea’s official Download Chart and won music show awards without any live promotional activities from him.
His acting appearance in singer IU’s music video “Love Wins All” in January 2024 went viral, generating over 100 million views on the Chinese platform Weibo and tens of millions more on TikTok. He also won several awards during this time, including his first trophy at the MAMA Awards and a Favorite Debut Album award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
Beyond entertainment, Taehyung made headlines for personal actions, including a donation of 200 million Korean won (approximately $147,504) to the Korea Red Cross in March 2025 to support wildfire recovery efforts.
Also Read:
Continued Influence In The Second Half Of 2025
Since completing his military service, Taehyung has quickly returned to a high level of public visibility and influence. In October 2025, he made his debut at the Vogue World: Hollywood fashion event. His attendance, where he wore an outfit incorporating traditional Korean jade elements, sparked massive online discussion, leading to 2.5 million mentions and over 11 million engagements on X within a single day. Vogue Italia praised him in an article, noting he “stood out for his multifaceted talent” and charisma.
On December 1, 2025, the same day the Forbes list was published, it was also announced that Taehyung had been named the new global ambassador for the luxury resort Paradise City. Ads featuring him for the campaign immediately appeared on billboards and buses in Seoul.
His digital presence remains immense. Following his military discharge, his Instagram following saw a significant jump, and he holds the record for fastest to reach 60 million followers on the platform. A single post he made during his service garnered over 16.4 million likes, reported as the most-liked Instagram post globally in 2025.
Looking forward, Taehyung and his BTS bandmates are currently focused on preparing the group’s next comeback album, which is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.
Also Read: Dear X Filming Locations: Where Was the K-Drama Shot?
