G-Dragon Surges, but RESCENE’s Woni Still Reigns Supreme in September’s Idol Brand Rankings

The Korean Business Research Institute's monthly brand reputation rankings analyze consumer participation, media coverage, interaction, and community awareness across 1,735 idols, using big data collected from August 23 to September…

By Reetam Bodhak

September 23, 2026

3 min read

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The Korean Business Research Institute’s monthly brand reputation rankings analyze consumer participation, media coverage, interaction, and community awareness across 1,735 idols, using big data collected from August 23 to September 23. Unlike a straightforward popularity poll, these rankings dig into online sentiment and keyword patterns to measure genuine public perception.

Woni Holds the Crown — Again

RESCENE’s Woni continued her reign at No. 1 with a brand reputation index of 7,859,086, marking a solid 13.05% increase since August. Her keyword analysis revealed phrases like “superstar” and “Like Woni” trending highly, with associated terms including “cute,” “like,” and “root for.” Her positivity score came in at an impressive 94.58% positive reactions — a strong indicator of consistently favorable public sentiment.

Top 5 RESCENE Breakdown

Rank	Idol	Index Score	Monthly Change
1	RESCENE’s Woni	7,859,086	+13.05%
2	BTS’s Jimin	6,845,549	+28.20%
3	BIGBANG’s G-Dragon	6,070,909	+149.08%
4	RESCENE’s Zena	5,904,063	+71.61%
5	BTS’s Jungkook	5,148,211	+11.56%

The Standout Story: G-Dragon’s Massive Jump

While Woni holds the top spot, the real headline this month is BIGBANG’s G-Dragon, who shot up to third place after a staggering 149.08% increase in his brand reputation index. That kind of jump usually signals a major activity spike — whether from a comeback, high-profile appearance, or viral moment — and it’s a notable resurgence for a veteran artist competing against a field dominated by newer, actively promoting groups.

RESCENE also had a strong month overall, placing four members in the top 15 (Woni, Zena, Minami, and Liv), reflecting the group’s rising momentum across the board.

Rest of the Top 30

The list beyond the top five features a broad mix of established and rising idols: BLACKPINK’s Rosé, IVE’s Jang Won Young, BLACKPINK’s Jennie, (G)I-DLE’s Soyeon, BTS’s Jin, BLACKPINK’s Lisa, aespa’s Karina, and Wanna One’s Park Ji Hoon all feature prominently, alongside familiar names like Red Velvet’s Joy and Irene, BTS’s V, ATEEZ’s San, and Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon.

Notably, BTS members occupy multiple spots in the top 30 (Jimin, Jungkook, Jin, V, j-hope, RM), underscating the group’s continued individual brand strength even amid solo-focused promotional cycles.

For more monthly idol ranking breakdowns and K-pop industry data, check out TechnoSports’ entertainment section.