IVE is proving their power once again! The group has officially claimed the No. 1 spot in the March girl group brand reputation rankings, leaving BLACKPINK and aespa behind.

On March 9, the Korean Business Research Institute released its March 2025 brand reputation rankings for girl groups, and IVE took the top position. BLACKPINK followed at No. 2, while aespa came in at No. 3. TWICE and (G)I-DLE rounded out the top five at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

IVE members Ahn Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Wonyoung, Liz, and Leeseo secured a brand reputation index of 6,213,599, marking a 5.26% increase from their February ranking.

Their strong results come from a participation index of 353,600, media index of 1,055,659, communication index of 1,719,917, and community index of 3,084,423.

Meanwhile, the overall girl group brand reputation data saw a 10.36% decrease compared to February, with total data points dropping from 56,077,037 to 50,265,719.

Koo Chang-hwan, director of the Korean Business Research Institute, shared insights into IVE’s ranking:

"In the March 2025 girl group brand analysis, IVE ranked No. 1. Their key link analysis keywords were ‘record, dominate, and surpass,’ while ‘Rebel Heart, attitude, and IVE Empathy’ were major search terms. The positive-to-negative ratio showed an overwhelming 93.98% positive sentiment."

1. IVE
2. BLACKPINK
3. aespa
4. TWICE
5. (G)I-DLE
6. Red Velvet
7. Oh My Girl
8. Kiki
9. fromis_9
10. H1-KEY
11. ITZY
12. BABYMONSTER
13. Apink
14. LE SSERAFIM
15. WJSN
16. FIFTY FIFTY
17. ILLIT
18. H1-KEY
19. MAMAMOO
20. tripleS
21. Dreamcatcher
22. cignature
23. Kep1er
24. ISNA
25. Brave Girls
26. Girl’s Day
27. KISS OF LIFE
28. KATSEYE
29. UNIS
30. MIYAO

With IVE continuing their unstoppable run, will they keep the No. 1 spot in April? Stay tuned.

Source (1)

SBS's new fantasy historical drama The Haunted Palace is already making waves both in South Korea and around the world.

Starring Yook Sung Jae and Bona, the show exploded in popularity during its very first week — topping Netflix charts in multiple countries and hitting double-digit TV ratings straight out of the gate.

On Korean television, The Haunted Palace shocked viewers with a strong start. Episode 1 pulled in a peak nationwide rating of 10.7%, instantly breaking the double-digit barrier.

The Seoul area rating and the national average were both 9.2%, making it the highest-rated premiere of any SBS drama in 2025 so far.

It also beat out other SBS dramas like Love Scout and Buried Hearts, and even took the #1 spot among all mini-series aired that week, showing that this drama isn’t just trending — it’s leading the pack. (According to Nielsen Korea)

And the success didn’t stop on TV.

As soon as The Haunted Palace dropped on Netflix, it jumped straight to #1 on “Today’s Top 10 TV Shows in South Korea”, proving its massive popularity on streaming platforms.

Globally, it also ranked #1 in the TV series category in Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, showing that international fans are just as hooked.
(According to FlixPatrol, April 21)

The drama is also doing incredibly well on South Korea’s own streaming trend charts. On KinoLights — a platform that tracks trends across all streaming services — The Haunted Palace ranked #1 overall, beating both films and dramas. (As of April 19)

Fans are loving the unique story, which mixes fantasy, comedy, and creepy mystery. The drama follows Yeori, a shaman who denies her fate, and Kang Cheol I, a mythical Imoogi spirit trapped inside her first love’s body. Together, they face off against a terrifying ghost called Palcheok Gui — who has a dark grudge against the royal family.

Episode 2 added even more excitement, with Kang Cheol I hilariously struggling to live like a normal human after 1,000 years.

At the same time, Yeori starts hearing the voice of Yoon Gap’s spirit and tries to save him. By the end of the episode, it’s revealed that Prince Wonja (played by Park Jae Joon) is going mad due to Palcheok Gui — and that the ghost has already consumed Yoon Gap’s soul. The showdown between Kang Cheol I, Yeori, and the evil spirit is just getting started.

With high ratings and top OTT rankings, The Haunted Palace is quickly becoming one of the biggest drama hits of the year.

Episode 3 of The Haunted Palace airs on Friday, April 25 at 9:50 PM KST on SBS.

Source: [1]