BTS V Maintains Global Dominance Despite Military Service; 215 Consecutive Weeks at No. 1 on Japanese Popularity Rankings

BTS’s V continues to exert significant global influence even while serving in the military. He has set unprecedented records across various popularity rankings in Japan, reaffirming his status as a leading global star representing K-pop. From May 5 to May 11, 2025, V surpassed his own record by remaining at No. 1 for 215 consecutive weeks in the male idol ranking poll conducted by Japan’s popular idol ranking site NEHAN. During the same period, he also held the top spot for 211 consecutive weeks in the “Top 20 Korean Actors” category on the Korean actor popularity ranking site BIHAN, solidifying his position as an actor as well. V’s influence is evident across multiple platforms. He has topped the “K-pop Idol Popularity Ranking” on K-board for 171 consecutive weeks and also ranked first throughout the entire period in both the “Korean Drama Male Actor General Election” and the “Handsome Man Election” polls. He continues to lead the rankings on K-pop information site KPOP JUICE as well. In Japan, where K-culture is extremely popular, V has reached the highest rank on X’s (formerly Twitter) “Celebrity Ranking” among individual artists, surpassing even Japanese stars. Since BTS’s Debut in June 2013, V has maintained the highest number of mentions among K-pop artists according to Japan’s Google Trends, a reliable indicator of popularity, underscoring his unparalleled appeal. V’s status is also prominent in global music streaming. As of May 13, 2025, he had accumulated 4.7 billion streams on Spotify, placing him third among Korean solo artists. This achievement follows those of fellow BTS members Jung Kook and Jimin, with V’s song “Love Me” having reached 1 billion streams on Spotify. HYBE Entertainment shared this accomplishment on its official account, receiving congratulations from fans worldwide. V attracts attention not only from K-pop fans but also from the Japanese public, establishing himself as the most popular Korean star across all categories including singing, acting, and variety shows. Recently, an article titled “V Selected as the Most Influential Influencer in the World, Proving Global Impact Despite Military Service” appeared as the main headline on Line News Japan. The fact that this story appeared on Line News Japan, which is used by 77 million users, demonstrates the intense interest among Japanese people. V is currently serving in the Special Duty Military Police Corps and is scheduled to be discharged on June 10, 2025.