K-pop and K-drama fans, the numbers don’t lie. The Korean Business Research Institute just dropped the May Rising Star Brand Reputation Rankings, and CORTIS didn’t climb the chart — they launched a rocket. After their emotional 10th win and triple crown on Music Core we covered here, the rookie group saw a staggering 409.37% jump, scoring 4,694,941 to claim the top spot.
May 2026 Rising Star Top 10
| Rank | Name | Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CORTIS | 4,694,941 | +409.37% |
| 2 | Byeon Woo Seok | 4,308,953 | +1.30% |
| 3 | RESCENE | 3,698,403 | – |
| 4 | Park Ji Hoon | 3,555,042 | – |
| 5 | Kim Yong Bin | 2,668,603 | – |
| 6 | Lee Sung Min | – | – |
| 7 | HANRORO | – | – |
| 8 | BIBI | – | – |
| 9 | Kim Hye Yoon | – | – |
| 10 | Stray Kids | – | – |
The list (analyzed from April 30 to May 30) mixes idols, actors, and rising personalities based on media coverage, consumer participation, interaction, and community awareness.
Stray Kids holding top-10 real estate right after “Easy” crossed 100 million views feels perfect. Meanwhile, aespa’s LEMONADE era and even the heartfelt support for (G)I-DLE’s Shuhua during their world tour show how fan love directly fuels these indexes.
Lower ranks feature familiar faces like ENHYPEN (19), DAY6 (22), TWS (24), Kim Go Eun, Park Seo Joon, and more — proof both veterans and fresh talent are staying culturally loud.
For deeper industry context, check the K-pop Wikipedia page.
🔥 The Takeaway
Brand reputation isn’t just vanity metrics — it’s proof your music, your story, and your connection with fans are actually landing. CORTIS turning a Music Core win into the top brand spot in one month? That’s the kind of momentum every artist dreams of. Keep streaming, keep voting, keep showing up. The data is listening. 🎤
❓ FAQs
Q: What exactly are Rising Star Brand Reputation Rankings?
A: They measure buzz and public interest using big data on media coverage, participation, interaction, and awareness — released monthly by the Korean Business Research Institute.
Q: Why did CORTIS jump to No.1 this month?
A: A massive 409.37% increase in their index (reaching 4.69 million points) after consistent promotions and their recent triple crown on Music Core propelled them past strong competitors like Byeon Woo Seok.
