South Korea's music industry - statistics & facts

K-pop group BTS was the best-selling artist in South Korea between 2016 and their last group release in 2022 before going on hiatus. Breaking numerous domestic and international records has become a relatively common occurrence for K-pop artists, showing how K-pop is not only popular in South Korea or Asian countries anymore, but has managed to reach a global audience. According to a 2022 survey on the popularity of K-pop worldwide, the majority of respondents felt that K-pop was widely known and popular among the public, rather than being confined to fan circles. The same survey found that one of the main reason for the popularity of K-pop were the catchy rhythms and choruses.

Music industry

All in all, the South Korean music industry achieved an all-time high sales revenue of around 11 trillion South Korean won in 2022, as well as an export value of about 927.6 million U.S. dollars. The export value has been increasing steadily ever since 2009, when K-pop began to become a global phenomenon. Nevertheless, while K-pop is one of the most prominent music exports from South Korea, there are numerous other popular domestic music genres. Older generations especially enjoy Korean trot, an older form of South Korean popular music. When asked about their favorite music genres, ballads and trot were often mentioned alongside K-pop.

Music streaming

In the home country of Samsung and LG, a great majority of consumers own and use smartphones. With one of the best internet connections of the world, it is unsurprising that music consumers prefer to stream music rather than purchasing a physical copy. When asked about their frequency of using music streaming services, over 81 percent stated that they did so on a weekly basis, with more than 40 percent doing so almost daily. In 2020, YouTube overtook the South Korean streaming service Melon as the most frequently used music streaming service in South Korea, a title which it still holds.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Mar 11, 2024

Key insights

Best-selling physical album 2023
"FML" by SEVENTEEN
Best-selling digital single
"Ditto" by NewJeans
Most used streaming platform
YouTube
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Sales revenue of the music industry in South Korea from 2014 to 2022 (in trillion South Korean won)

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Music industry sales revenue South Korea 2014-2022

Value of music industry exports from South Korea from 2005 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)

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Music industry export value from South Korea 2005-2022

Best-selling music albums in South Korea from 2011 to 2023, by number of albums sold (in 1,000s)

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Leading albums in South Korea 2011-2023, by albums sold

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Music streaming services

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K-pop

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Further reports

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Music industry in the U.S.
Music industry in the U.S.
Digital music industry in China
Digital music industry in China
Music industry in Japan
Music industry in Japan
K-pop and its fanbase
K-pop and its fanbase
Music industry worldwide
Music industry worldwide

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