Overseas K-Pop Album Sales Soar to New Record

Exports of K-pop albums reached a new high last year.

K-pop album sales abroad soared to US$220.8 million, up some 62 percent from the year before, according to the Korea Customs Service.

Even in China, which has imposed restrictions on the dissemination of Korean culture, sales were up more than 2.5 fold. The biggest market was Japan with $87 million, followed by China ($42.5 million), the U.S. ($37.9 million) and Indonesia ($9.6 million).

The growth in sales was led by groups like Bangtan Boys, also known as BTS, and NCT. The coronavirus pandemic fueled the sales, as few K-pop concerts were held and fans bought more of their idols' albums instead.