BigBang, RESCENE and BTS split Korea, China and Japan K-pop charts

Melon’s new Global K-Chart is showing just how differently Korea, China and Japan are consuming K-pop right now. According to a Herald Economy report, BigBang led the latest weekly global ranking, while RESCENE, BTS and aespa each held the top spot across different monthly stretches. The report frames the results as a snapshot of three markets with very different tastes.

The same article says only three acts—BigBang, BTS and aespa—have placed inside the top 10 of all three country charts since the system opened. That makes the overlap between the markets unusually small, even as individual fandoms continue to push their own favorites to the top.

Korea: RESCENE’s viral surge

In Korea, RESCENE has emerged as the clearest example of a chart breakout driven by short-form video attention. The report says the group’s song LOVE ATTACK spread through YouTube-based challenge content, then climbed Melon’s daily and weekly charts before reaching No. 1 on Melon’s August monthly chart.

The story adds that Pretty Girl and Deja Vu also remained on the chart, giving RESCENE three songs in the monthly top 10. For the latest weekly ranking, the group held No. 1 in Korea, while BigBang followed at No. 2, Hearts2Hearts at No. 3, BTS at No. 4 and aespa at No. 5.

Herald Economy describes Korea’s chart environment as one where broad public appeal and viral momentum can matter as much as fandom size. In that setting, even newer acts can surge quickly if a song catches fire on platforms such as TikTok or YouTube Shorts.

China: a fast-changing rotation

China’s Tencent Music chart appears to move much faster. The report says the country’s weekly and monthly leaders have shifted repeatedly as Korean acts release new music, with i-dle at No. 1 in July, aespa taking the top spot in August, and EXO moving to No. 1 in the first week of September.

The article also notes a strong preference in the Chinese market for artists with Chinese-speaking members. It points to i-dle member Yuqi ranking No. 4 in China, even though the group’s global ranking was lower, and says SEVENTEEN member The8 outranked his group’s overall Chinese placement.

In the latest Tencent Music top 10 cited by the report, EXO, i-dle, aespa, BigBang, NCT 127, BTS, G-Dragon and SEVENTEEN all appeared. The report characterizes China as a market where digital downloads and streaming power can quickly reshape the chart each time a major act returns.

Japan: BTS keeps the longest hold

Japan is presented as the most loyal market of the three. According to the article, BTS held No. 1 on LINE Music’s monthly chart for four straight months from May through August, then stayed No. 1 on the September weekly chart as well.

The report says Japanese listeners tend to reward long-term emotional connection rather than one-off viral moments. That helps explain why older hits can continue to circulate and why established acts with strong touring power remain durable on the chart.

Other acts also perform strongly in Japan. The article says Stray Kids ranked No. 2 there, TWICE was No. 3, ILLIT reached No. 4, BABYMONSTER was No. 7 and LE SSERAFIM stood at No. 9. Several of those groups are noted for having Japanese members, which the report says may help their reception in the market.

Why the overlap is so rare

Herald Economy’s main point is that a single K-pop act rarely dominates all three markets at once. The article says the different fan behaviors in Korea, China and Japan make simultaneous top-10 placements extremely difficult, which is why BigBang, BTS and aespa stand out as the only acts to have done it so far.

BigBang’s return is a central part of that picture. The report says the group came back with its first full-group song in 4 years and 4 months, and that its artist ranking on Melon jumped sharply as soon as the release went live. The article presents that result as a sign of nostalgia-driven strength across generations.

At the same time, the story cautions that strong local performance does not always travel. RESCENE’s chart power in Korea did not translate as strongly to China or Japan, while artists who are relatively lower in one market may still rank highly in another.

Overall, the report paints the current K-pop landscape as a three-way split: RESCENE leading Korea through viral momentum, EXO and other fast-moving acts trading places in China, and BTS holding Japan through long-term fan loyalty.

Sources: 헤럴드경제.