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On July 1, 2025, Sports Seoul reported that BTS’ Taehyung (V) has officially claimed the title of the most searched K-pop star on Google during the first half of 2025. Data from Google Trends revealed that Taehyung led the rankings in 75 out of 81 tracked countries. The countries include South Korea, the U.S., the U.K., Japan, and India.
Despite limited public appearances, due to his military enlistment, V ranked fourth among male pop stars globally in 2024, too. He was only behind Drake, Eminem, and Justin Bieber.
On June 10, 2025, the day Taehyung completed his military duty, search traffic for his name surged, topping Google's global people search rankings.
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He also dominated social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and China’s Weibo. Furthermore, his related hashtags and mentions occupied top spots.
Fans around the world responded with excitement to the latest news. They flooded timelines with celebratory hashtags. An X user, @BTSV_supremacy, wrote:
"Global Icon BTS V topped the list as the 'most searched K-pop star on Google' in the first half of 2025, showcasing global popularity."
Many pointed out how V’s name never left the spotlight. They called it a "Kim Taehyung effect".
"And that's the Kim Taehyung effect!! Cheers to our global superstar, ambassador Cheers to his Loyal fandom !!!" a fan mentioned.
"Nobody does it like him !!" an X user added.
"HE IS THE MOST POPULAR AND MOST IMPORTANT PERSON EVERRR!!! EVERYONE IS JUST SO EXCITED TO HAVE HIM BACKKKKK," a netizen mentioned.
Fans wrote that BTS V's influence was "no joke." Meanwhile, others praised his natural ability to draw attention without any official promotions.
"His name is alr a household locally & internationally, not just in music bt within the whole ent industry. He slowly bt surely make his own way up, create his own path, and he did it successfully," a fan commented.
"His influence is no joke. He has become a very trustworthy name in his country and beyond," an X user mentioned.
"My Taetae deserves it !! Father always on TOP," another person added.
Post-military return boosts Taehyung’s visibility across fashion, social media, and brand power
V’s return to public life amplified his influence. Within just one day of his discharge, he gained 300,000 Instagram followers. That pushed his total above 67.99 million. His Instagram growth is the fastest ever recorded globally, reaching the 60 million milestone in under two years.
The impact extended beyond music. The Cartier watch he wore upon discharge, priced at roughly 20 million KRW, immediately sold out. So did his accessories, outfits, and even his headphones, once fans spotted them.
Taehyung’s activities post-service included attending j-hope’s concert and joining fellow members at Jin’s solo tour launch on June 28, 2025. After that, he briefly traveled to Japan, returning just a day later.
Fans were surprised by the quick turnaround and speculated that the trip might be tied to new projects in the works.
Most recently, he also won the “Trend of June: K-pop Solo” award at the 2025 Korea Grand Music Awards.
