Home > Entertainment > K-pop

Cortis's James voted most 'maknae-like' eldest K-pop member by fans

Published: 20 Feb. 2026, 12:59 Updated: 20 Feb. 2026, 13:01

YOON SEUNG-JIN
[email protected]

The winning fan art celebrating James's selection as the “maknae-like” eldest member of a K-pop group. [PICNIC]

Boy band Cortis’s James has been selected as the most " maknae-like” eldest member of a K-pop group, according to K-pop voting platform Picnic. Maknae is a Korean term widely used among K-pop fans that refers to the youngest person in a group, who often has a cute image.

Throughout the poll that ran from Jan. 23 through Feb. 6, James received 81,959 votes to rank first. Noah of virtual idol group Plave placed second with 61,595 votes, followed by Lily of girl group NMIXX in third with 45,239 votes.

According to the voting platform, Cortis is on the verge of achieving the “double-million seller” status, with cumulative sales of its debut album reaching 1.92 million copies. The group has also surpassed 100 million cumulative streams on Spotify, earning recognition as one of the most anticipated rookie groups of 2026.

“This result goes beyond a simple popularity vote and reflects the artist’s unique human charm,” a spokesperson for Picnic said.

In collaboration with the Korea JoongAng Daily, Picnic hosts weekly polls on a wide range of topics related to K-pop artists.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [[email protected]]