'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUI/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAM23Q6P/xAAfEAACAgEEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwERBAAFEkEGE1P/2gAIAQEAAT8AwWgjZMripZNcYx7SGzXxuaCer70HkBCAxGAqoj7Hr//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAv/aAAgBAgEBPwC0f//EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAEDAQE/AIv/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
BTS’ Kim Taehyung has pulled the topmost brand appeal among male K-pop stars since 2020, according to analytics site Lefty. The K-pop idol brought in EMV (Earned Media Value) of $286 million over three years.
Notably, no one else in his category has reached that number. This comes mostly from his Instagram handle, @thv, even though he didn’t start solo deals or walk shows until 2023. Out of 126 posts, 114 got over 10 million likes.
V's per-post value stands at $14.4M, the highest for any K-pop artist so far. Other leading figures on the lineup are Cha Eun-woo at $192M, Stray Kids’ Felix with $81M, and EXO’s Sehun at $ 62M.
Trending
The 29-year-old also broke records by gaining followers faster than anyone, from 1M to 66M in the shortest time on the app. In 2025, while enlisted, he was still one of only two artists to hit 16M likes on a post. ARMYs are showing major excitement and pride about the BTS member's achievement.
"As he should!!! Taehyung’s a FREAKING ICON, and his impact is untouchable. PERIOD. Now name another idol doing it like him.... I’ll wait," an X user commented.
Taehyung holds two Guinness World Records linked to his Instagram growth. Before 2023, his only fashion week presence was as a guest in Paris. Moreover, he hadn’t signed with any brands yet. Even while serving, his social media reach hasn’t dipped. Numbers show he’s still pulling major online attention.
"His earnings from instagram alone surpasses anyone in the industry what more the sales of his music that are completely disproportionate to the promo he uses money on. no one in kpop will touch that wealth might as well donate the likes you give as dollar money to ur broke favs," a fan remarked.
"Yes king thv🔥🐻💜," a user mentioned.
"The difference is substantial! 💜👑💜," a person said.
Many are in awe of the Wnter Bear singer's popularity:
"Looks like Tae’s Insta is making waves again thanks to the antis! Let’s show some love—like and share his post to keep the good vibes rolling and the engagement high! 💜💪🏼," a netizen said.
"Mind you he’s been in the military for the last one and a half years… Kim Taehyung’s brand power is untouchable," a viewer noted.
"The gap is gaping ❤️🔥😰," another fan added.
BTS' Taehyung ranked as the No. 1 Korean Instagram influencer in music
Taehyung also landed the No. 1 spot on Instagram worldwide. As of May 5, 2025, global tracker TOP NINE listed him as the top Korean figure online across every category.
The artist is also leading in the U.S. Overall, he ranked first as the most followed Korean star, most prominent Asian male, most talked-about musician, and top name with the highest user activity on the app.
The rankings are based on online reach, fan response, and engagement numbers. By May 1, 2025, he became the K-pop solo act with the most songs over 400 million streams on Spotify. He has five songs on that list.
Two of them (Sweet Night and Christmas Tree) are OSTs from hit K-dramas. Love Me Again and Slow Dancing are from his solo album Layover. His latest English single FRI(END)S is also part of the five.
BTS’ Kim Taehyung last updated fans on February 23, 2025, when he shared on Instagram that he had been promoted to the rank of sergeant in the military. He is set to complete his mandatory service and be discharged in June 2025.
