▲ This poster provided by P Nation celebrates the 6 billion YouTube views of PSY's global hit song "Gangnam Style," marking the first K-pop music video to reach the milestone. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, July 20 (Yonhap) -- The music video for PSY's global hit "Gangnam Style" has surpassed 6 billion views on YouTube, becoming the first K-pop music video to reach the milestone, his agency P Nation said Monday.

 

The video exceeded the 6 billion-view mark Friday, about 14 years after it was released on July 15, 2012.

 

It reached 5 billion views on Dec. 30, 2023, adding another 1 billion views in two years and seven months.

 

Featuring humorous lyrics, the iconic "horse-riding" dance and a satirical music video, "Gangnam Style" became a global sensation upon its release.

 

In December 2012, it became the first video in YouTube history to surpass 1 billion views. The song also spent seven consecutive weeks at No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, helping pave the way for K-pop's rise in the Western mainstream music market.

 

Reflecting on the song's unprecedented success, PSY told Yonhap News Agency last year that YouTube had "changed the landscape of the Korean Wave," describing "Gangnam Style" as "the first case in which YouTube was effectively utilized."

 

P Nation said the 6 billion-view milestone is "a symbolic achievement in K-pop history" that demonstrates the enduring appeal of content capable of transcending national borders and generations.

 

PSY celebrated the achievement during Saturday's "PSY Summer Swag 2026" concert in Gwacheon, performing in the same outfit featured in the "Gangnam Style" music video.

 

"I'll upload today's performance to YouTube as a thank-you video for reaching 6 billion views," he told the audience.

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