CORTIS makes it to Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia list

K-pop boy band CORTIS / Courtesy of BigHit Music

K-pop boy group CORTIS has made it to Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 Asia list for 2026, the youngest Korean act and the only K-pop boy group on this year's roster.

The group earned a spot in the Entertainment and Sports category less than nine months after its debut, recognized in part for its collaborative approach to music, choreography and visual content production. Also named in the same category were K-pop girl groups NMIXX and I-dle, as well as dancer and choreographer Leejung Lee.

The annual list recognizes individuals and teams under 30 who have demonstrated significant influence across the Asia-Pacific region. This year's selection involved Forbes Asia reporters, editors and expert panelists who vetted roughly 4,000 candidates across 10 categories.

The recognition comes as CORTIS is riding the commercial success of its second mini-album, "GREENGREEN," released May 4. The album sold more than 2.3 million copies in its first week, according to Circle Chart, ranking second in first-week sales among K-pop releases this year behind BTS' "ARIRANG."

The album's lead single, "REDRED," spent five consecutive weeks on Spotify's Weekly Top Songs Global chart and topped daily and weekly charts on major Korean streaming platforms including Melon.

The group's official Instagram and TikTok accounts each have more than 12 million followers, the most among K-pop acts that debuted in the last five years, according to the group's label.

CORTIS, made up of members Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon and Keonho, debuted on Aug. 18, 2025 under BigHit Music, the label also home to BTS and Tomorrow X Together. Its debut extended play, "Color Outside the Lines," entered the Billboard 200 at No. 15, at the time the second-highest charting debut album by a K-pop act.