K-pop Album Exports Cross $300 Million Mark for First Time, Further Consolidating Dominance in Global Music Market

K-pop has solidified its position as a key player in the global music industry. In 2025, South Korea’s exports of K-pop albums reached $317 million, surpassing $300 million for the first time ever. This represents a 3.4% increase from 2024, indicating a continuous rise in K-pop’s global popularity.

By country, Japan remains the largest importer, recording $80.6 million, but this figure saw a 10.2% decline compared to the previous year. China rose sharply to take second place with $69.7 million, marking the first time since 2022 that it regained this position after a 16.6% increase. The United States ranked third with $64 million, while Taiwan, Germany, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Canada, France, and Poland also counted among the top importing countries.

K-pop groups hold an overwhelming advantage on global music charts. On the 2025 Global Album Sales Chart released by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), STRAYKIZ’s “KARMA” occupied second place, SEVENTEEN’s “Happy Burstday” came in third, and ENHYPEN’s “DESIRE : UNLEASH” finished fourth, with seven out of the top 10 positions held by K-pop groups. Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” topped the list.

Other K-pop albums that made it into the top rankings include TOO MOON X TOGETHER’s “The Name Chapter: Together” (6th), ZEROBASEONE’s “Never Say Never” (7th), IVE’s “IVE Empathy” (9th), and G-DRAGON’s “Ubermensch” (10th). On the IFPI Global Album Chart, which includes streaming data, the OST for Netflix’s animated series “KPop Demon Hunters” reached third place, underscoring the global influence of Korean content.

Domestic album sales in South Korea continue to show a downward trend. The total volume of K-pop albums sold domestically and internationally in 2025 was approximately 93.5 million units, marking two consecutive years of decline from around 120 million units in 2023. Choi Gwang-ho, director of the Korea Music Content Association, analyzed that “K-pop has maintained its global popularity through limited hits such as the soundtrack for ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ but the domestic market has stagnated due to environmental concerns over plastic CDs and reduced promotions targeting fans.” He added that “the gap between artists who perform well in key overseas markets and those who do not is widening increasingly.”

Meanwhile, K-pop’s global influence is expanding beyond music into everyday culture. Even small European countries like Luxembourg are seeing K-pop culture take root. In Luxembourg’s cities, stores selling Korean cosmetics and booths for taking Korean-style ID photos are increasing, and Korean cuisine is becoming part of the mainstream food culture. According to an online survey conducted by the South Korean Embassy in Luxembourg in 2025, approximately 40% of respondents associated “K-food” first when thinking of Korea. Dishes such as Korean fried chicken and kimbap have become established in local restaurants as part of the culinary scene. Korean restaurants and local influencers in Luxembourg are holding classes on dishes like kimbap and bibimbap, reflecting a deep interest in Korean food culture. The Korean Culture Day event held by the Luxembourg Embassy in October 2025 saw 5,500 attendees in Luxembourg, a country with a population of 680,000, highlighting the local craze for K-pop culture.