K-pop exports reached a record high in the first half of 2026, South Korean government data showed Friday, In this March 21 photo, a billboard advertising the Netflix livestream of a BTS concert is seen in Seoul. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
South Korea's exports of K-pop albums hit a record high in the first half of the year, government data showed Friday, driven in part by BTS' fifth studio album, "Arirang."
K-pop album exports reached US$257.48 million in the January-June period, up 125 percent from a year earlier, according to import and export trade statistics from the Korea Customs Service.
The United States was the largest importer of K-pop albums during the period, with imports totaling $74.12 million, followed by China and Japan at $61.18 million and $45.61 million, respectively.
Rounding out the top 10 were Germany, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Britain, France and Poland.
