The reason why all members of BTS and Blackpink are in the top most powerful stars in Korea

In the "Power Celebrity 40" list - 40 most powerful celebrities of Korea in 2026 - just announced by Forbes Korea magazine, BTS and Blackpink are the 2 most prominent music groups, when all members in the group are in the Top 40.

According to Forbes Korea, entering 2026, the rules of the game in the culture and sports industries have changed comprehensively. Today, a celebrity cannot only rely on fame.

People who are able to mobilize fandoms, expand their fields of operation and directly operate their own platforms are the ones standing at the new peak.

Forbes Korea's list does not answer the question "who is more popular", but pays attention to "who has stronger economic influence". Celebrities are seen as an industrial asset, not simply stars.

Power Celebrity 40" takes the most core criterion as the artist's annual income, while combining indicators of media mention, social media discussion, and public voting.

The most prominent point in this year's list is the return of top idols.

BTS takes the No. 1 position with a explosive comeback after more than 3 years of interrupting operations due to military service.

Forbes Korea emphasized that BTS is considered the most iconic group in the history of the "Power Celebrity" chart.

In particular, the interruption period did not weaken the overall strength of the group thanks to the individual activities of each member.

During the time BTS stopped group activities, each member expanded their own fields, leading to the personal brand of each person even becoming stronger, followed by the weight of the name BTS also being expanded.

As a result, not only BTS ranked Top 1, but all 7 members were in the Top 40 most powerful celebrities in Korea in 2026.

Jin (6th place) builds his own presence based on an emotional fandom and great sympathy from the public; V (7th place) expands into the fashion and luxury goods sector; while Jungkook (8th place) is consolidating the image of a global pop star.

J-Hope (10th place) builds the image of an international performer; RM (11th place) is prominent in the field of art and culture.

Jimin (12th place) builds a strong personal brand revolving around fashion, image and performance; while Suga (18th place) affirms the capacity of a producer through solo activities.

Blackpink also operates in a similar structure, but the approach is somewhat different. Each Blackpink member stands at the center of different industries.

Jennie (16th place) stands out with solo music and global fashion campaigns; Lisa (20th place) expands the scope of activities of Kpop idols the most, from performance, music to acting.

Rosé (ranked 23rd) expanded her musical ability through cooperation with international artists; while Jisoo (ranked 24th) explored a completely different field through acting.

Blackpink shows that the maturity of each individual is also the expansion of the whole collective.