NewJeans Tops Favorite K-Pop Artist Poll Among Young Fans

In a recent survey conducted by Korean Gallup from July to November 2024, 5,281 individuals aged 13 and older across South Korea (excluding Jeju) were asked to name their top three favorite K-pop artists or groups of the year. Among respondents aged 39 and under, NewJeans (뉴진스) emerged as the favorite with 25.5% support, while Lim Young-woong (임영웅) led among those aged 40 and above with 33.9%.

The multinational girl group NewJeans, consisting of members Minji, Hani, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein, made a remarkable leap from fifth place in their debut year (2022) to first place in 2023, despite facing challenges related to their agency this year. Their success is particularly notable given the absence of K-pop giants BTS (방탄소년단), showcasing their ability to surpass long-standing favorites like IU (아이유) and BLACKPINK (블랙핑크).

IU, a singer-songwriter who debuted in 2008, secured the second spot among younger fans with 20.6%. Known for her versatility in acting and various television appearances, she has consistently ranked among the top artists since 2011, having previously won first place in 2014 and 2017. This year, she successfully completed a world tour, performing 31 shows across 12 countries and attracting 500,000 fans.

The third favorite among the younger demographic was the girl group aespa (에스파), which debuted in 2020 and garnered 13.3% of the votes. BTS, who are set to return as a full group in 2025, ranked fourth with 10.7%, followed by IVE (아이브) at fifth with 10.2%. Other notable mentions include DAY6 (데이식스) at sixth (8.5%), BLACKPINK at seventh (8.0%), Rosé (로제) at eighth (7.7%), Lim Young-woong at ninth (5.4%), and Lee Mujin (이무진) rounding out the top ten with 3.9%.

Additional artists receiving over 1.5% of the votes included Seventeen (세븐틴), (G)I-DLE, AKMU (악뮤), Sung Si-kyung (성시경), ZICO, BIBI, G-DRAGON (지드래곤), LE SSERAFIM, Jannabi (잔나비), TWICE, NCT, Taeyeon, Eclipse (the band from tvN's '선재 업고 튀어'), and Lee Young-ji.

From 2020 to 2022, BTS, IU, and BLACKPINK consistently held the top three spots, but in 2023 and 2024, NewJeans has claimed the top position, with IU maintaining her strong popularity. The rise of aespa and DAY6 has also been noteworthy in recent years.