K-pop album exports top US$100 mln for first time in Q1

▲ The Korea Customs Service building (Yonhap)

pop albums-exports

K-pop album exports top US$100 mln for first time in Q1

By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, April 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports of K-pop albums hit a record high of US$120 million in the first quarter of this year, customs data showed Tuesday.

Outbound shipments of K-pop albums surged 159 percent from a year earlier in the January–March period, marking the first time quarterly exports have exceeded $100 million, according to the Korea Customs Service (KCS).

Quarterly exports have set consecutive records since the third quarter of 2025, the agency said.

The KCS attributed the increase to the global expansion of K-pop fandoms, as well as growing demand for albums amid fatigue with digital streaming.

The United States was the largest market, accounting for 28 percent of total exports, overtaking Japan, which had held the top spot until last year.

The European Union came next with 16.5 percent, followed by China at 14.4 percent and Taiwan at 6.9 percent, the latest findings showed.

Of the 131 countries that imported K-pop albums in the first quarter, 94 recorded their highest-ever quarterly imports, indicating broad-based growth rather than concentration in a few markets, the KCS said.

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