RESCENE's Woni Holds First Place as October Idol Brand Reputation Rankings Revealed

Woni Holds First Place in a Crowded October Field

RESCENE's Woni remains first in the Korean Business Research Institute's individual idol brand reputation rankings for October, Soompi reported. Her brand reputation index was 8,709,318, up 10.82 per cent from September. The institute analysed 1,735 idols using big data collected from 21 September to 21 October, weighing consumer participation, media coverage, interaction and community awareness.

The result matters beyond a single number. Brand reputation rankings are watched by fans, media and commercial partners as a monthly read on who is generating conversation and recognition. Woni's lead is not a sales chart or a music-ranking position; it is a composite visibility measure. Still, holding first place across consecutive months, as the report describes, gives RESCENE a prominent name at the top of a list that spans established groups and newer acts.

Soompi also reported that 'REMINE' and 'photocard' were among Woni's high-ranking keyword phrases, while 'advertise', 'participate' and 'playful' were her highest-ranking related terms. Her positivity-negativity analysis showed 95.03 per cent positive reactions. Those details are part of the institute's keyword and sentiment breakdown, not independent evidence of fan opinion, but they explain why the entry reads as more than a raw score.

What the Brand Reputation Index Actually Measures

The index is built from four separate indexes: consumer participation, media coverage, interaction and community awareness. The Korean Business Research Institute then combines those signals into a single score for each idol in its analysis pool. That structure is why the ranking often captures a mixture of search interest, press attention and online discussion rather than one simple measure of popularity.

Because it combines media and community signals, the ranking can move for reasons that are not captured in the headline score; a rise in the index does not by itself establish what caused the change. That is the main limit to keep in mind when reading the month-on-month percentages. The figures describe movement in the composite measure, not a verified explanation of a career moment.

For readers, the useful question is not whether the index is a definitive popularity contest. It is not designed as one. The useful question is which names the measure is placing in front of a wider audience, and whether those names also appear across other parts of the list. In October, both the top line and the depth of certain groups are notable.

Jimin and Jungkook Keep BTS in the Top Five

BTS's Jimin holds second place with a brand reputation index of 8,361,896, a 22.15 per cent rise from September. Jungkook is fifth with 6,095,986, up 18.41 per cent. Jin appears seventh, while V and Suga place 26th and 28th respectively, giving BTS five members in the top 30.

A related K-Beats report on the institute's October boy group member rankings placed Jimin first among boy group members. The two lists use related brand-reputation data but rank different pools, so the comparison is contextual rather than a single combined result. It does, however, underline how strongly Jimin features in the institute's October measurements.

The spread across the top 30 suggests that interest in BTS is not concentrated only in the highest-profile member. Jimin and Jungkook give the group a top-five presence, while Jin, V and Suga extend that presence deeper into the list. For a group whose members are often discussed individually, that range is part of the story.

RESCENE's Five-Name Showing Is the Story Beneath the Top Line

Zena rises to third place with a brand reputation index of 7,271,332, a 23.16 per cent increase from September. Minami places ninth, Liv tenth and May seventeenth. That gives RESCENE five members in the top 30 and four in the top ten, a concentration that stands out even alongside Woni's first place.

For a group, that pattern can matter commercially. A brand considering a group campaign or an individual endorsement sees multiple names with measurable visibility, rather than one member carrying the entire public profile. The index does not confirm that any campaign talks are taking place, and it does not measure fees or contract interest. It does show where the institute's data places the group's members relative to the wider field.

Zena's 23.16 per cent rise is significant, but the bigger group-level signal is the number of RESCENE names in the upper half of the list. Woni's first place draws the eye; the supporting entries make the month look less like a single-member spike and more like a group-wide presence in the measure.

Jang Won Young's Sharp Rise and IVE's Wider Footprint

IVE's Jang Won Young takes fourth place with a brand reputation index of 6,810,221, a 47.49 per cent rise from September. That is the largest percentage increase in the top five as listed by Soompi. An Yu Jin places 13th and Rei 19th, giving IVE three members in the top 20.

A 47.49 per cent increase is striking, but percentage changes need context. A rise from a lower base can produce a large percentage without moving a name into first place. Jang remains fourth, behind Woni, Jimin and Zena, so the number is best read as momentum within the index rather than a change in the top order.

The wider IVE showing is also worth noting. Three members in the top 20 gives the group a broader footprint than the headline position alone would suggest. Jang's fourth place is the highest entry, but An Yu Jin and Rei add depth to IVE's October presence.

Veteran Names, Group Depth and the Rest of the Top 30

BLACKPINK places Jennie sixth, Jisoo 14th and Rosé 23rd. Girls' Generation has Hyoyeon 16th, Lim Yoona 18th and Taeyeon 22nd. Red Velvet's Irene and Joy appear 21st and 25th, while TWICE's Sana and Nayeon are 24th and 29th. The list is not solely a younger-act story.

ATEEZ places San eighth and Wooyoung 15th. BIGBANG's G-Dragon is 11th, aespa's Karina and Winter are 12th and 20th, LE SSERAFIM's Kim Chaewon is 27th and Wanna One's Kang Daniel is 30th. That range gives the October rankings a broad generational spread.

The range of acts is part of why the monthly list attracts attention. It mixes group members from different generations and current activity levels, and it gives readers a quick map of who is being discussed across the institute's chosen signals. For fans, that map can be as interesting for its unexpected entries as for its top five.

How to Read the October Rankings

The most useful way to read the list is to separate position from movement. Position tells you where each idol sits in the composite index for this month. Movement tells you how the score changed since September. Both are included for the top five, but they answer different questions.

For fans, the rankings can be a conversation starter about visibility, media coverage and community activity. For the industry, they can function as a rough signal of who is drawing attention across several channels at once. Neither use requires treating the index as an official chart.

The October result has a clear top line: Woni first, Jimin second, Zena third. The more interesting pattern is underneath: RESCENE's depth, IVE's multiple entries and the continued presence of BTS members and long-established groups. That combination is what makes this month's list more than a repeat of the previous one.

The Takeaway

Woni's hold on first place is the headline, but RESCENE's five names in the top 30 give the October rankings their distinctive shape. Jimin and Jungkook keep BTS in the top five, Jang Won Young posts the sharpest rise among the leading group, and the rest of the list spans newer acts and veteran names.

The practical takeaway is that the October data rewards a two-level reading: the individual winner at the top and the group depth beneath it. Woni leads, RESCENE spreads, and the next monthly update will show whether those patterns hold.