Gallup Korea conducted three surveys in 2024—July, September-October, and November—asking 5,281 individuals aged 13 and older across the country (excluding Jeju Island) to name up to three of their favorite singers or groups active in Korean popular music this year. Gallup Korea also asked the surveyors to name their top three favorite songs.
The results showed that among those under 40 (ages 13–39), NewJeans ranked first with 25.5% support, while Lim Young Woong topped the list among those aged 40 and older with 33.9%.
NewJeans, consisting of five members (Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein), experienced a meteoric rise from fifth place in their debut year (2022) to first place in 2023. Even amidst controversies involving their agency, they have been recognized as the top choice of 2024. Their dominance underscores their strength, surpassing long-standing favorites like IU and BLACKPINK, even considering the hiatus of “K-pop Kings” BTS.
In second place among singers chosen by those under 40 is IU (20.6%). Debuting in 2008, IU is a singer-songwriter who has also gained prominence as an actress in dramas and films, consistently ranking in the upper echelons of "Singer of the Year" since 2011, including first-place finishes in 2014 and 2017. This year, she successfully concluded a world tour with 31 performances across 12 countries, attracting an audience of 500,000.
Third place is aespa, a four-member girl group (Karina, Winter, Giselle, NingNing) that debuted in 2020, with 13.3% of the votes. Fourth place goes to BTS (10.7%), who are set to make a full-group comeback in 2025. Fifth place is IVE (10.2%), followed by DAY6 (8.5%) in sixth place, BLACKPINK (8.0%) in seventh, and Rosé (7.7%) in eighth. Lim Young Woong (5.4%) ranks ninth, while Lee Mu Jin (3.9%) rounds out the top ten.
Lim Young Woong has maintained his top spot among singers favored by those over 40 for five consecutive years. Since his debut in 2016, he has gained widespread recognition, especially after winning the TV Chosun audition program 'Mr. Trot' in 2020 with his emotionally resonant performances. He has since become one of the most sought-after stars in concerts, television, and advertising. This year, he released the new song "Warmth" and the concert film "Lim Young Woong | I’m Hero the Stadium."
Second place among singers over 40 is Lee Chan Won (12.2%), who also rose to fame through 'Mr. Trot,' where his performance of "Jinttobaegi" earned him third place. Since then, he has launched a successful career as a singer. This year, he released his self-composed album 'Bright: Chan (燦)' and appeared on various variety programs such as 'Immortal Songs,' 'High-End Penny Pincher' and 'Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant.'
Third place is Jang Yoon Jung (11.8%), followed by Young Tak (10.0%) in fourth, and Na Hoon A (8.1%) in fifth. Jin Sung (7.8%) ranks sixth, IU (6.4%) seventh, Song Ga In (5.8%) eighth, Jang Min Ho (4.6%) ninth, and Park Seo Jin (4.2%) tenth.
Among those under 40, BTS, IU, and BLACKPINK were in the top 3 spots each year from 2020 to 2022. However, in both 2023 and 2024, NewJeans claimed the top position, while IU maintained her enduring popularity as a strong contender. The rise of girl group aespa and the four-member boy band DAY6 (Sungjin, Young K, Wonpil, and Dowoon) was also notable.
In the top 10 songs for people under 40, BLACKPINK member Rosé made her mark with "APT."—a collaboration with Bruno Mars released in October that took the world by storm.
Among those over 40, Park Seo Jin entered the top 10 for the first time. Both Lim Young Woong and IU secured spots in the top 10 for both the under-40 and over-40 age groups. A significant number of the over-40 top 10 preferences came from contestants of 'Mr. Trot.'
Looking at the preferred genres by age group, K-pop dominated among those under 40, while trot was the most favored genre among those over 50. In the 40s demographic, preferences were more varied. Although some artists didn’t make it into the overall top 10 for under-40 or over-40 groups, they ranked in the top 10 within specific age ranges. These include Seventeen and BIBI (teens), AKMU (20s), Sung Si Kyung (40s), Lee Moon Sae and Jeon Yu Jin (50s), and Kim Yeon Ja (60s+).
Respondents were asked to name their favorite songs released or performed this year, selecting up to three tracks (open-ended responses). Among those under 40, Rosé and Bruno Mars’ collaboration "APT." (9.8%) was chosen as the top song of the year, while "Love Always Runs Away" by Lim Young Woong (5.9%) claimed the top spot for those over 40.
For those under 40, other songs in the top 10 included:
Among those over 40, songs in the top 10 alongside "Love Always Runs Away" included:
Among those under 40, eight out of the top ten songs are newly released tracks from this year. In contrast, among those over 40, only two songs—"Warmth" and "Sky Travel"—are new releases, highlighting a clear generational difference in the preferences and consumption patterns of popular music. In the under-40 top 10, NewJeans has three tracks and IU has two, whereas in the over-40 top 10, Lim Young Woong dominates with six songs, followed by Lee Chan Won with two, reflecting Lim Young Woong's overwhelming influence.
Between 2007 and 2014, trot songs were almost absent from the top 10 songs of the year. From 2015 to 2017, two trot songs appeared annually, increasing to three in 2018 and peaking at six in 2019. Although direct comparisons are difficult since preferences have been recorded separately for under-40 and over-40 groups since 2020, trot songs have consistently made up the majority of the over-40 top 10 for the past five years.
Even before the 'Miss Trot' phenomenon in 2019, which is often credited with fueling the modern trot craze, the genre was known for gradually gaining recognition and enjoying long-term popularity. Jang Yoon Jung's "First Marriage," released in 2010, and Jin Sung's "At Andong Station," released in 2012, first entered the top five in 2016 and remain in the top 10 in 2024.
While not as pronounced as with trot, older tracks in other genres also occasionally reemerge or remain in the top ranks for several years. Among the under-40 top songs, IU's "Through the Night" was released in 2017, and NewJeans' "Hype Boy" came out in 2022. This trend is likely influenced by the diversification of music variety shows and the widespread adoption of streaming services.
Music variety shows such as 'Superstar K' (Mnet, 2009–2016), 'K-pop Star' (SBS, 2011–2017), 'Immortal Song' (KBS2, 2012–), 'Hidden Singer' (JTBC, 2012–2022), 'King of Masked Singer' (MBC, 2015–), 'Miss Trot/Mr. Trot' (TV Chosun, 2019–), and 'Sing Again' (JTBC, 2020–) have brought many older tracks back to life.
Additionally, streaming platforms with curated playlists by artist, album, and genre have contributed to breaking down the barriers between old and new music, transcending time and space.
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