SEVENTEEN album sales in South Korea 2015-2023

South Korean K-pop boy group SEVENTEEN achieved a remarkable milestone in 2023, with album sales reaching approximately 16.1 million copies, marking their most successful year to date. This record-breaking achievement solidified their position as one of the most successful and popular K-pop acts in history, outselling all other artists in the Korean music industry that year.

Physical sales vs digital streaming

In a global music industry where digital music streaming is prevalent, South Korea stands out due to the significant popularity of physical album sales, particularly within the K-pop genre. SEVENTEEN's 2023 album "FML" emerged as the best-selling physical music album in South Korea, reflecting the genre's emphasis on physical sales alongside digital downloads and streaming. The K-pop industry's success in physical album sales is largely attributed to buying incentives, fandom culture, and the unique merchandising concepts offered with each album, distinguishing it from trends in other music genres. However, digital streaming is still a major part of the industry, as evidenced by the high numbers of streams and views on popular songs and music. SEVENTEEN’s physical sales success was mirrored on digital streaming sites as well, with several of their digital singles being among the most-streamed songs that year.

K-pop’s dominance and impact

SEVENTEEN's exceptional album sales in 2023 not only surpassed their own records, but also broke industry-wide benchmarks, including a six-year streak held by none other than BTS. This accomplishment underscores the rapid growth and dominance of album sales in South Korea, which has seen an over tenfold increase in the past decade. The majority of these sales come from the K-pop industry, with other genres seeing far fewer physical sales, both from domestic and international fans.