Trot singer Lim Young Woong has secured the top spot in Korean singer brand value rankings for three consecutive months as of May 2024.

On May 25 KST, the Korea Brand Reputation Research Institute unveiled the brand value rankings for Korean singers based on extensive data analysis.

Lim Young Woong, who previously dominated the list in both March and April, achieved a total of 7,923,400 brand value points this month—an impressive 20.53% increase from the previous month.

Following closely behind, girl groups IVE and aespa claimed the 2nd and 3rd positions, with IVE earning 6,844,582 points and aespa accumulating 4,537,556 points.

The top 30 Korean singers in terms of brand value rankings for May are as follows:

1. Lim Young Woong
2. IVE
3. aespa
4. ILLIT
5. Seventeen
6. (G)I-DLE
7. BTS
8. LE SSERAFIM
9. IU
10. BIBI
11. NCT
12. Na Hoon Ah
13. Lee Chan Won
14. TWS
15. DAY6
16. BABYMONSTER
17. Jay Park
18. Young Tak
19. Taeyeon
20. RIIZE
21. Zico
22. Jang Yoon Jung
23. BLACKPINK
24. EXO
25. Red Velvet
26. Sung Si Kyung
27. QWER
28. TWICE
29. Paul Kim
30. NewJeans

Congratulations to Lim Young Woong on maintaining his impressive brand value ranking! ?

Source(1)

Choi Si Hoon, known from Single’s Inferno and newlywed husband of singer Ailee, is facing backlash after being linked to a controversy from Wavve’s queer reality show ToGetHer.

Fans discovered that Choi is allegedly the CEO of the influencer agency representing Ri Won, a cast member now at the center of a growing scandal.

The situation started when castmate Han Gyeol spoke up, claiming Ri Won once suggested an overseas trip that felt more like a shady meeting than a casual hangout.

“I thought it was a fun vacation invite at first,” Han Gyeol said, “but when they started talking about meals and date-like things, I realized something was wrong. It felt like an inappropriate setup.”
Han Gyeol added, “Using someone’s sexuality as a shield for suspicious actions is not okay in this industry.”

Ri Won responded by saying it was all a misunderstanding and that the trip was mentioned casually during a conversation about food. “We joked about going to that country after talking about food,” Ri Won said.

However, things got more intense when Ri Won admitted to having a past as a 'beotbang' (adult streaming) BJ. “I know I’m not trustworthy right now, and I appeared on TV while hiding my past. That’s why I shared some proof—I was desperate,” Ri Won explained.

Ri Won also shared a blurred message from another cast member that accused them of fake dating and lying about knowing someone from Billboard. “You said you’d introduce me to a Billboard contact. Then give me their name and title,” the message read. “You just keep switching your targets.”

Ri Won replied, “He’s the team leader at Billboard Korea and also my influencer agency CEO.”
This comment led online users to dig deeper—and some claimed the CEO Ri Won mentioned is none other than Choi Si Hoon, Ailee’s husband.

Currently on his honeymoon with Ailee, Choi is now getting unwanted attention. Some netizens brought up his alleged past as an adult BJ and now, his possible involvement in this controversy.

On Ailee’s Instagram post from April 30, one fan wrote, “Unnie, sorry to bother you during your honeymoon, but please search Choi Si Hoon’s name. A female BJ said she’s signed to his company, and he supposedly arranged a meeting for her with a just-turned 19-year-old girl.”

As the issue grew, Ri Won spoke out again on May 1 to calm things down. “The person I mentioned in the messages was just someone who gave me advice,” Ri Won clarified. “He’s not my agency CEO, like some people assumed. I thought he could help with music, but he never made any business offer.”

Ri Won ended by saying, “I’m sorry for causing any confusion and discomfort to others with my personal remarks.”

So far, Choi Si Hoon and Ailee have not made public statements about the situation.

Source: [1]