Government Annual Survey Reveals Top 5 Favorite K-Pop Groups/Artists Selected By Overseas Fans In 2022

Curious to know what are the favorite K-Pop groups and artists of overseas fans? We are as well! The 2023 annual survey report on the Korean Wave was released on March 10 and gives us all the details on Hallyu in 2022.

The Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE, an institution designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) works on this report every year. This year they broadened their spectrum by including more countries in their data. They interviewed 25,000 people between 15 and 59 years old from 26 countries from November 11th to December 7th about Korea. The surveyed countries include the US, Brazil, Argentina, the United Kingdom (UK), France, Turkey, Russia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Australia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mexico, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Kazakhstan.

In one part of the survey, the respondents were asked to answer: “Who is currently your favorite Korean group/artist?”. They chose their favorite artist by writing their name down (not selecting it). Let’s find out their answers below!

Top 5 Favorite K-Pop Groups/Artists

BigHit Music

With a whopping 31.3% of the total respondents picking BTS as their favorite K-Pop artist, BTS takes the top spot. There’s no doubt about the fact that BTS is the greatest musical group in the world today, so this ranking comes as no surprise. The group’s unique musicality, inspirational lyrics, and positive influence on the world are truly worth high praise.

Government Annual Survey Reveals Top 5 Favorite K-Pop Groups/Artists Selected By Overseas Fans In 2022

YG Entertainment

BLACKPINK comes in strong at second place, with 10.8% of respondents picking the girl group as their favorite. Queens of the stage, BLACKPINK, has achieved unparalleled success all over the world, dominating records and music charts left and right. Needless to say, there are even greater things to come in the future and we could not be more excited.

Credited with giving new life to the Korean wave with the viral sensation “Gangnam Style”, PSY’s cultural significance is unprecedented. 2.6% of respondents picked PSY as their favorite K-Pop artist in 2022. It was also in 2022 that PSY’s eighth studio album, “PSY 9th”, was released, giving his extraordinary career another boost. Without a doubt, the impact that this album had was out of this world.

TWICE is ranked 4th overall, with 1.8% of survey-takers naming the group as their favorite. Known worldwide for their originality, signature style, and flawless discography, TWICE has established themselves as a global force to be reckoned with. 7 years into their career, TWICE still continue to evolve and reinvent themselves, bringing novelty to the table every time.

Coming in at #5, we have the only soloist on this list, the idol of idols, IU, with 1.7% of respondents naming her their favorite. IU is one of the most successful Korean solo artists of all time. She is not only beloved worldwide but is also respected by fellow artists and industry professionals. Being a singer-songwriter, IU has always impressed with her remarkable skills, constantly delivering the best of the best. We can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.

Top 5 Favorite K-Pop Groups/Artists By Countries

If you want to access the original data, you can do so from page 97 onwards in this pdf.

Highlights

It is interesting to see that BTS is the #1 favorite K-Pop group/artist in 23 out of the 26 countries that were surveyed. In addition, BTS was mentioned in more than 35% of responses in all the countries on the American continent, which is an incredibly high number. The highest percentage of responses mentioning BTS was recorded from Argentina, with 49.9% of respondents picking BTS as their favorite. The only countries where BTS comes 2nd (the lowest position they occupy), are Thailand and Malaysia, where BLACKPINK takes the top spot. Moreover, BTS does not appear on China’s top 5 list but IU tops it.

In addition to the top 5 artists, BIGBANG, Girls’ Generation, and Stray Kids appear 6 times in the top 5 of different countries, EXO appears 8 times, SUPER JUNIOR appears thrice and GOT7, NCT, TXT, KARA, and MAMAMOO appear once in Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, Japan, and France respectively. The OGs – Rain appears three times (USA, Saudi Arabia, Egypt), and BoA appears once in Kazakhstan.

Soloist SunMi appears in Brazil, Ailee in Canada, and HyunA in Russia. Individual members from K-Pop groups such as BTS’ Jin, V, JiMin, JungKook, BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Jennie, GOT7’s Jackson Wang, f(x)’s Luna, and BIGBANG’s G-Dragon appear in the top 5 of several countries as well.

If you want to read more about the data released on this survey, such as the favorite actors, idols, and movies. Check out the articles below: