"He's bigger than kpop" - Fans cheer as BTS' Taehyung tops South Korea's influencer charts with 8.7M authentic engagements, ranking #5 globally

On October 24, 2025, X account @Vstagramcrew shared that according to HypeAuditor, BTS member Kim Taehyung, aka V, was currently the most influential act in South Korea. According to the report, Taehyung secured the top spot in South Korea and No. 5 globally, with 8.7 million authentic engagements, making him the country’s leading influencer.

HypeAuditor is an AI-powered influencer marketing platform. It is designed to help brands and agencies analyze, discover, and verify influencers across social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and X.

It provides in-depth analytics on metrics such as audience demographics, engagement rates, follower authenticity, and brand affinity. The platform's primary goal is to ensure transparency and accuracy in influencer marketing by detecting fake followers.

In HypeAuditor’s South Korea Influencer Rankings, Taehyung has claimed the No. 1 spot with 69.5 million followers and 8.7 million authentic engagements. In second place is BLACKPINK’s Lisa, who has 106.9 million followers and 3.2 million authentic engagements. Another BTS member, Jimin, follows in third position, recording 55.4 million followers and 5.5 million authentic engagements.

Fans across social media celebrated the milestone, praising V for what they perceived as proving his unmatched global reach. Many noted that despite being less active online, his posts continued to generate massive engagement. One fan commented:

"When we say he's bigger than kpop"

Following the release of HypeAuditor’s latest rankings, fans flooded social media with excitement over V’s global influence and the continued dominance. Many praised his reach and authenticity, calling him “untouchable” for leading the engagement charts.

The new HypeAuditor rankings also sparked an emotional response from fans. The news of the ranking came amid ongoing controversies surrounding V’s involvement with Coca-Cola and the Love Your W charity event.

Post ranking, supporters rallied around the BTS member, celebrating his continued dominance despite the wave of online criticism. Many fans saw his latest achievement as proof of his resilience and influence despite attempts to discredit him.

BTS’ Taehyung ranks #5 globally on HypeAuditor, with highest engagement rate among top influencers

According to HypeAuditor, BTS' Kim Taehyung's Instagram account, @thv, showed remarkable engagement and growth. In October 2025, the account recorded an impressive 15.8% engagement rate, averaging 11 million likes and 2.8K comments per post.

From September 25 to October 23, 2025, his follower count grew from 69,381,727 to 69,515,064. This marked a steady growth rate of 0.19%, while his total posts increased from 137 to 140. Financially, @thv’s estimated earnings for September 2025 ranged between $457,432 and $626,681.

If this trend continues, BTS V's annual projected income could reach between $5.48 million and $7.52 million, as per HypeAuditor. Over a longer period, from October 2023 to September 2025, Taehyung’s monthly Instagram earnings ranged from $463,852 to $542,056, showing a clear upward trajectory.

Kim Taehyung’s influence also extends to the global stage. HypeAuditor’s worldwide list ranked V at #5 among all top influencers, alongside international icons such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, and Lionel Messi.

In HypeAuditor’s global rankings, Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list with 666.3 million followers and 4.3 million authentic engagements. Taylor Swift followed in second place, recording 281.9 million followers and 3.7 million authentic engagements.

Selena Gomez ranked third with 417.6 million followers and 2.2 million authentic engagements, while Lionel Messi placed fourth with 507.1 million followers and 1.9 million authentic engagements.

BTS’ Kim Taehyung secured the fifth position. Despite having the fewest followers among the global top five and having comments turned off for all the posts, Kim boasted the highest authentic engagement rate.

Meanwhile, Taehyung is currently working with his fellow BTS members in preparation for the group’s comeback album, set to drop in Spring 2026.

About the author

Adrija Chakraborty is a writer at Sportskeeda with a Master's degree in English literature, which provided her with a strong foundation in research, analysis, and writing. Currently, she covers all things K-drama trends. In school, Adrija served as an editor for her school magazine and has published many stories that received delightful responses.

Adrija's passion for pop culture, especially K-pop and K-dramas, developed during her university years. Writing blog posts and articles on these topics, which received positive feedback, helped her build a portfolio and opened doors to opportunities in the pop culture writing industry. This also allowed her to combine her academic background with her love for K-pop and K-dramas.

Accuracy is key for Adrija, and she maintains this by thoroughly researching and cross-verifying information from multiple credible sources.

Adrija loves BTS, whom she admires not only for their music but also for their resilience, passion, and dedication.
In her free time, Adrija enjoys watching K-dramas, reading books in different languages on various topics, singing, painting, and cooking.

Know More

Edited by Adrija Chakraborty