BTS’s First Comeback in 3 Years Drives Brand Value Up 242%

BTS topped the Star Brand Reputation Index in March following their return after a 3.5-year hiatus. Their brand reputation index surged from 7,992,722 in February to 27,363,112 in March, marking a significant increase of 242.35%.

This figure is based on an analysis of 275,169,232 pieces of big data related to star brands collected by the Korea Corporate Reputation Institute from the 28th of last month to the 28th of this month. The detailed indices showed participation scores at 1,663,902, media scores at 2,915,672, communication scores at 8,935,350, and community scores at 13,848,188. Among the individual evaluation categories, brand consumption saw the highest growth at 37.18%, followed by brand expansion at 17.94%, brand communication at 12.92%, and brand issues at 2.21%.

The main factors behind BTS’s sharp rise were the release of their new album after 3 years and 9 months, as well as a performance at Gwanghwamun Plaza. Their fifth studio album, “Arirang,” released on March 20, became the first K-pop album in history to achieve the highest daily streaming count on Spotify. The performance held at Gwanghwamun Plaza the following day, March 21, was streamed live to over 190 countries via Netflix, with tens of thousands of fans gathering in person both domestically and internationally. A total of 18.4 million people accessed the streaming service, demonstrating worldwide interest.

Actor Park Jihoon ranked second with a brand reputation index of 14,042,781, representing a 284.89% increase from the previous month, while singer Lim Youngwoong came in third with an index of 8,363,524, showing a 29.88% rise. These results illustrate the ongoing influence of the world’s largest group following their return from military service.

BTS’s comeback is regarded not merely as a resumption of musical activities but as a global cultural phenomenon. Industry experts suggest that the members’ solo activities during their military service—during which they released 10 solo albums and 38 singles—may have contributed to new synergies.