Im Young-woong hits 278 consecutive weeks at #1 on Idol Chart, leads solo singer brand rankings in July

278 weeks at #1 on the Idol Chart. No interruption.

The third week of July (July 19–26, released July 27) saw him pull 306,869 votes. No other artist comes close to that streak in the current chart era.

Brand reputation data tells the same story. Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute ranked him 2nd overall in July 2026, behind only BTS—making him the country's top-ranked solo artist by that measure. A separate trot singer brand reputation survey (June 26–July 26) had him 1st, ahead of Kim Yong-bin and Park Ji-hyun. The institute's Star Brand Reputation Big Data for July (measured June 28–July 28) placed him 3rd overall, behind BTS and RISENNÉ.

Streaming numbers are just as hard to argue with. He's surpassed 1.4 billion cumulative streams on Melon and holds the all-time #1 position for cumulative artist streams on the platform.

His original composition 또또, self-written and performed live on SBS's 산골총각 영웅 last week, has been circulating since the broadcast.

Im Young-woong will hold IM HERO - THE STADIUM 2 at Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium for three days, September 4–6. Tickets went on sale July 16 at 8 PM via NOL Ticket and sold out immediately.

He also joins the 3rd lineup of the 2026 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS (TMA), set for September 19 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium alongside RIIZE, ILLIT, NMIXX, and TREASURE. This marks his first TMA appearance in three years. (His last regular album, IM HERO 2, dropped in August of last year with title track 순간을 영원처럼 sweeping domestic real-time chart #1s at release.)