K-pop album exports hit record high in H1

Blackpink's "Born Pink" encore concert at Stade De France in Paris (YG Entertainment)

K-pop album exports for the first half of the year came to a record high, buoyed by sales in Japan and the US, the world's largest music market.

South Korea’s album exports were tallied at $132.93 million, as of June — a 17.1 percent jump on-year, according to the Korea Customs Service on Tuesday.

Japan holds the throne as Korea’s largest K-pop importer, posting $48.5 million in imports in the first half of this year.

The US logged the second-highest demand for K-pop albums with $25.5 million, followed by China with $22.64 million.

The remaining of the top 10 K-pop importers include Germany, followed by Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Canada, the UK, and France.

K-pop artists achieved remarkable accomplishments in the US in the first six months of the year.

Jimin of BTS became the first K-pop soloist to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart with his solo debut single “Like Crazy.”

Renowned K-pop boy bands Stray Kids and Tomorrow X Together topped Billboard’s main album chart, Billboard 200, with their albums released early this year.

Jimin and Suga of BTS, Seventeen, Ateez and Twice also landed on the same chart at No. 2.

Rising K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty stayed on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for 16 consecutive weeks with its hit track “Cupid.”

According to the American music sales data provider Luminate, Korean language content had the third most streaming share in the US.

“K-pop which was previously represented as BTS and Blackpink has now become a genre itself. It took several years for K-pop to establish its current position in the music industry after BTS got its first Billboard Music Award in 2017. There is more potential for the K-pop streaming market to grow,” said an official from the Korea Music Content Association.

By Hong Yoo(yoohong@heraldcorp.com)