K-pop Physical Album Still Active, Exports Reach Rp2 Trillion

JAKARTA - K-pop physical albums have not lost their selling power in the midst of streaming dominance. The value actually set a new record.

Launching a report from Yonhap, Tuesday, April 28, South Korean K-pop album exports broke through US$120 million or around Rp2.07 trillion in the first quarter of 2026. This calculation uses a rate of Rp17,227 per US$1.

Data from the Korea Customs Service (KCS) released Tuesday, April 28, showed that the figure was the highest record in history.

From January to March, the shipment of K-pop albums abroad jumped 159 percent compared to the same period last year. This is the first time that the quarterly export of K-pop albums has broken through US$100 million or around Rp1.72 trillion.

KCS said the quarterly exports continued to set records since the third quarter of 2025.

The surge was triggered by the widespread fandom of K-pop in various countries. Another factor is the increasing demand for physical albums amid saturation with digital streaming.

The United States is now the largest market. The country accounts for 28 percent of total K-pop album exports. The US has displaced Japan, which until last year was still in the top position.

The European Union followed with a share of 16.5 percent. After that China 14.4 percent and Taiwan 6.9 percent.

Of the 131 countries that imported K-pop albums in the first quarter, 94 countries recorded the highest quarterly imports.

KCS said the data showed that the growth of K-pop album exports was more even, not just based on a few large markets.

This is also a record for Indonesian music industry players. Songs are not enough to be thrown onto digital platforms. It needs to be packaged, given a story, and made valuable for the fan community. South Korea proved it through the export of K-pop albums, which are now worth trillions of rupiah.