Each month, the Korean Business Research Institute puts out a brand reputation ranking for rising stars, and September’s list has a clear leader. Lee Sung Min took first place with a brand reputation index of 3,487,456. It’s a strong result that reflects a lot of public attention on him over the past month.
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The Top Five in Detail
Song Kang came second with 3,141,673, and Seo Kang Jun was third with 2,854,055. Seongri followed closely in fourth with 2,733,772, and Park Ji Hyeon rounded out the top five with 2,447,216. The gap between third and fourth is small, so small shifts in public attention could reshuffle the order next month. Song Kang in particular is one to watch after finishing so close to the top.
How the Rankings Work?
The institute doesn’t rely on a single score. It analyses each star’s media coverage, consumer participation, interaction and community awareness indexes, using big data collected from August 30 to September 30. In simple terms, it measures how much people are talking about, engaging with and interacting with a name, which is a useful signal for brands watching who’s trending.
Where the Idol Groups Landed?
K-pop groups did well in the top 30. ATEEZ placed sixth, followed by Stray Kids in ninth. RIIZE came in eighteenth, DAY6 twenty-second, KiiiKiii twenty-fifth, and I.O.I rounded out the list at thirtieth. Solo performers also made it, with WOODZ (Cho Seung Youn) in tenth and Yena in twenty-ninth.
A Strong Actor Presence
The list also includes plenty of familiar drama names. Shin Min Ah placed twelfth, Lee Jong Suk fourteenth, Kim Go Eun seventeenth and Ji Chang Wook twenty-third. Rounding out the top ten are Jang Han Byul in seventh and December’s DK in eighth. It’s a mix of actors, idols and musicians, which reflects how varied Korean entertainment attention has become.
What This Means?
These rankings measure online buzz and public engagement, not sales or awards, so they’re best read as a snapshot of who’s getting attention rather than a verdict on talent. For more, browse our K-pop news on Technosports and our K-drama coverage.
FAQs
Q1. Who topped the September rising star brand reputation rankings?
Lee Sung Min took first place with an index of 3,487,456.
Q2. What data was used for the rankings?
Big data on media coverage, consumer participation, interaction and community awareness, collected from August 30 to September 30.
