CORTIS Named by Forbes as One of 30 Under 30 Asia – Recognition for Next-Gen K-Pop Group

K-Pop rookie group CORTIS has been selected for Forbes’ “30 Under 30 Asia 2026” list. The selection comes just 9 months after their Debut, and they have drawn international attention as the youngest Korean act and the only K-Pop boy group on this year’s list.

Forbes recognized CORTIS in the Entertainment and Sports category. Other groups included in this same category are K-Pop girl groups NMIXX and I-dle, along with choreographer and dancer Leejung Lee. This list focuses on individuals and teams under 30 years old who have demonstrated significant influence in the Asia-Pacific region. This year, Forbes Asia evaluated approximately 4,000 candidates before making selections across 10 categories.

CORTIS’s recognition is attributed to their collaborative approach in music, choreography, and visual content creation. The group has established itself not as mere idols but as creators. As the first boy group released by BigHit Music in six years following BTS and Tomorrow X Together, they position themselves as a “Young Creator Crew,” moving beyond traditional idol formats.

CORTIS has also achieved remarkable commercial success. Their second mini-album, “GREENGREEN,” released on May 4, sold 2.34 million copies in its first week. According to the Circle Chart, it ranked second among all new K-Pop releases in terms of first-week sales this year, only behind BTS’s “ARIRANG.” The title track, “REDRED,” made it onto Spotify’s Global Top Songs chart for five consecutive weeks and topped daily and weekly charts on domestic streaming platforms such as Melon.

Their digital influence is equally notable. CORTIS’s official Instagram and TikTok accounts each have 12 million followers, the highest count among any K-Pop debut group in the past five years.

CORTIS consists of five members: Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho. They made their Debut under BigHit Music on August 18, 2025, with their first EP, “Color Outside the Lines,” reaching position 15 on the Billboard 200—ranking second among new K-Pop albums at the time. Forbes’s selection serves as evidence of how quickly this rookie group has established itself on the international stage.