Forbes Korea has published its 2024 Power Celebrity 40 list, which features multiple K-pop celebrities, including BTS Jimin and Jungkook. In 2023, South Korean juggernaut BTS topped the list, and Blackpink stood in third place. K-drama heartthrobs Song Joong Ki and Son Suk Ku ranked fourth and seventh, respectively.
Forbes Korea‘s Power Celebrity 40 list started in 2009. Every year, the magazine picks the 40 most influential celebrities in the sports and entertainment sector based on their accolades, achievements in respective fields, media exposure, social media popularity, and TV appearances.
BTS Jungkook, Newjeans and more stars listed in 2024 Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40
Blackpink has taken over BTS‘ top spot in the Forbes Korea Celebrity 40 list. The YG Entertainment’s Billboard 200-charting girl group ranked first in the Forbes Korea Celebrity list. The magazine mentioned Blackpink’s historic achievement with their first full-length 2020 album, ‘THE ALBUM.’ Their first album sold over 1,209,543 copies within days of release, making them the first Korean girl group to achieve million-seller status.
Following Blackpink, NewJeans ranked third in the list. ADOR’s rookie girl group debuted in 2022 but instantly became a K-pop sensation, achieving multiple records and awards. Forbes Korea noted Min Hee Jin’s girl group’s Billboard recognition. Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein of NewJeans received the Group Of The Year trophy at the 2024 Billboard Women In Music Awards.
Among K-pop solo stars, BTS Jimin and Jungkook ranked 7th and 9th in the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list. Forbes mentioned Jungkook‘s top-selling album, Golden’s debut record on Spotify. His first solo album became the first album in K-pop solo history to receive over 39,653,740 filtered streams.
IVE came in at number 10th in the Forbes Korea list. Even without debuting from one of the big K-pop houses like HYBE or YG, IVE has achieved considerable popularity since its debut in 2021. Within a year of its debut, IVE snagged its first daesang (grand prize) award at the 2022 Melon Music Awards.
Along with the top 10 celebrities, K-pop stars Cha Eunwoo, Yoona, IU, and K-drama stars Son Suk Ku, Lee Seung-gi, and Park Eunbin were also mentioned in the top 40 list.
