Who Was Crowned the No.1 K-Pop Idol by Korean Soldiers—IU, IVE, aespa, or NMIXX?

According to the Korea Defense Daily’s April troop survey, the most wanted words from a K-pop star were simply: “Stay strong.”

Among the many K-pop idols who uplift and energize soldiers during their service, one group stood out to earn the honorary title of “Military President” — the most popular star among enlisted troops. In 2025, aespa (Karina, Winter, Ningning, Giselle) has been voted the No. 1 most desired star to meet by MZ generation soldiers.

On April 29, the Korea Defense Daily, under the Ministry of National Defense, revealed the results of its April “Military Chart” survey, which asked 309 enlisted troops three questions:

“Which star would you most want to meet at a military concert?”

“When did a star give you strength during service?”

“What’s one message you’d like to hear from them?”

According to the results, aespa took 1st place with 18.1% of the votes.

Following behind were:

2nd: fromis_9 (16.2%)

3rd: IU (6.5%)

4th: IVE (6.1%)

5th: NMIXX (4.9%)

Soldiers praised aespa, saying things like:

“Just seeing them gives me energy,”

“Their songs and performances are such a source of comfort.”

One Corporal Kim shared:

“When I’m tired and struggling, I think about aespa’s Karina. It motivates me to protect this country even harder, just knowing she’s breathing the same air as me.”

Another soldier, Private Chun, added:

“Thinking of aespa pushes me to give my best in everything.”

fromis_9, in 2nd place, earned points for their friendly image and bright energy. Soldiers noted that their music is especially motivating during training exercises and long marches.

IU, a consistent chart-topper in military popularity surveys, came in 3rd. Troops mentioned her powerful role in the Netflix drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, and said:

“She gave the entire nation a shared sense of nostalgia and connection.”

IVE and NMIXX, ranked 4th and 5th respectively, were also recognized for providing motivation and comfort through music.

Many soldiers even name-dropped IVE members Jang Wonyoung and An Yujin, showing strong fan devotion.

As for the message troops most want to hear from their “military president,” the top responses were simple yet powerful:

“Stay strong”

“Fighting!”

“You’re doing great”

Some also wished to hear messages of appreciation, like:

“Thank you for protecting our country,”

“Stay safe and healthy until discharge,”

“We’re lucky to have you.”

The Military Chart is a monthly feature by the Korea Defense Daily that surveys soldiers on fun, engaging topics.

All surveys are conducted through The Camp — a public military communication app.

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