List of best-selling albums in South Korea


The best-selling album in South Korea is , by South Korean boy band BTS. The studio album, released in February 2020, became the best-selling album in South Korea of all time, with more than 4.1 million copies sold in less than a month. Including estimates based on illegal sales, Kim Gun-mo's 1995 studio album Wrongful Encounter is estimated to have sold at least 3.3 million copies, holding the record for the best-selling South Korean album for 24 years until it was broken by BTS with in 2019. All albums that have sold more than one million copies in South Korea are by Korean artists, with the exception of Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard. BTS, Kim Gun-mo, and Seo Taiji are the artists with the most million selling albums, each having six, followed by Exo with five. Exo's first studio album, XOXO, became the first album released since 2001 to sell more than 1 million copies in 2013, and BTS' ' became the first album to sell more than 2 million copies since 2000 in 2018. BTS' ' became the first album to sell more than 3 million copies since 1997 in 2019, followed by which became the first album ever to surpass 4 million sales in 2020. In 2019, BTS became the first act to sell 1 million copies of both an album and its repackage, with Wings and You Never Walk Alone each surpassing 1 million sales. If repackage albums are counted separately from their parent albums, then BTS is the act with the most million selling albums, having seven.
Between January 1999 and November 2008, the Music Industry Association of Korea charts were published monthly, with fifty chart positions and each album's detailed sales. The Korea Music Content Association introduced the Gaon Album Chart in February 2010, including a detailed breakdown of online chart data. Domestic music sales declined sharply in the 21st century. Sales certifications for albums are awarded by the KMCA, were introduced in April 2018, and can be awarded to every album released after January 1, 2018. Certifications are not included in this list, because the Gaon Music Chart publishes detailed album sales.

Legend

2 million or more copies

ArtistAlbumYearSalesEstimates
BTS'20204,265,617
BTS'20193,813,282
Kim Gun-moWrongful Encounter19952,860,0003,300,000
BTS'20182,631,759
Lee Moon-saeStanding Under the Shade of a Roadside Tree19882,580,000
Shin Seung-hunTo Heaven19962,470,000
Byun Jin-subBack To You19892,400,0003,000,000
Seo Taiji and BoysSeo Taiji and Boys IV19952,400,000
BTS'20172,269,441
BTS20182,258,016
BTSWings 2016–20172,215,333
Seo Taiji and BoysSeo Taiji and Boys II19932,200,000
Jo Kwan-wooMemory19952,140,0003,200,000
Jo Sung-moLet Me Love20002,072,029
Jo Sung-moFor Your Soul19992,047,152
Yoo Jae-haBecause I Love You19872,000,000
Byun Jin-subTo Be Alone19881,800,0002,800,000
Kim Jong-hwanFor Love19971,100,0003,000,000
Kim Hyun-sikMy Love by My Side19911,100,0002,000,000
Lee Moon-saeWhen Love Passes By1987900,0002,850,000
Kim Jong-hwanReason for Existence1996900,0002,500,000

1 million–1.9 million copies

ArtistAlbumYearSales
EXODon't Mess Up My Tempo 20181,967,290
DJ DocDJ2DOC19961,950,000
g.o.dChapter 3: Lies20001,849,381
Kim Gun-moExcuse19931,830,000
Kim Gun-moExchange19961,810,000
Seo Taiji and BoysSeo Taiji and Boys19921,800,000
Shin Seung-hunAfter A Long Time19941,800,000
Various artistsThe More I Love You20011,750,354
g.o.dChapter 4: Road20011,738,082
Shin Seung-hunBecause I Love You19931,700,000
EXOThe War 20171,671,720
Roo'raAngel With Lost Wings19951,600,000
Seo Taiji and BoysSeo Taiji and Boys III19941,600,000
Jo Sung-moClassic20001,599,111
Shin Seung-hunInvisible Love19911,580,000
H.O.T.We Hate All Kinds of Violence19961,500,000
H.O.T.Wolf and Sheep19971,500,000
Lee Moon-saeI Don't Know Yet19851,500,000
Wanna One1X1=1 20171,454,231
Shin Seung-hunReflection of You in Your Smile19901,400,000
Kim Won-junWhile You Were Not Here19941,400,000
Kim Gun-moAnother Days20011,397,388
H.O.T.I Yah!19991,383,985
NCT 127Neo Zone 20201,362,908
Jo Kwan-wooMy Third Story About...19961,300,000
Seo TaijiUltramania20001,300,000
EXOXOXO 20131,296,063
EXOEXODUS 20151,285,860
SeventeenHeng:garae20201,235,853
Byun Jin-subFarewell19901,200,000
Whitney Houston/various artistsThe Bodyguard Original Soundtrack Album19921,200,000
ClonAre You Ready?19961,200,000
Sechs KiesSchool Byeolgok19971,200,000
EXOEX'ACT 20161,187,681
Seo TaijiSeo Tai Ji19981,133,736
H.O.T.Resurrection19981,103,439
BaekhyunDelight20201,018,617
015BThe Third Wave19921,000,000
015BThe Fourth Movement19931,000,000
015BBig 519941,000,000
Cho Yong-pilWoman Outside The Window19801,000,000
DJ Doc4th Album19971,000,000
Jo Kwan-wooMy First Story19941,000,000
Jo Kwan-wooWaiting19971,000,000
Joo Hyun-miCouple's Party19841,000,000
Kim Gun-moSleepless Rainy Night19921,000,000
Kim Gun-moMyself19971,000,000
Kim Wan-sunPierrot Smiles at Us19901,000,000
Sechs KiesSpecial Album19981,000,000
Shin Jung Hyun & Yup JunsShin Jung Hyun & Yup Juns Vol. 119741,000,000
The Pearl SistersMy Dear19681,000,000

Best-selling album by year

Sales of standard release and reissue albums in a year. This list does not include sales of the same album in other years apart from the specified calendar year. For a list of total sales, see sections above.
YearArtistAlbumSales
1998Seo TaijiSeo Tai Ji1,133,736
1999Jo Sung-moFor Your Soul1,949,043
2000Jo Sung-moLet Me Love1,968,967
2001Various artistsThe More I Love You1,688,129
2002Cool7even647,052
2003Kim Gun-moHestory529,416
2004Seo Taiji7th Issue482,066
2005SG WannabeSaldaga 414,855
2006TVXQ"O"-Jung.Ban.Hap. 349,317
2007SG WannabeThe Sentimental Chord190,998
2008TVXQMirotic 502,837
2009Super JuniorSorry, Sorry 250,673
2010Girls' GenerationOh! 334,785
2011Super JuniorMr. Simple 473,242
2012Super JuniorSexy, Free & Single 480,622
2013EXOXOXO 1,006,473
2014EXOOverdose657,765
2015EXOEXODUS 1,211,237
2016EXOEX'ACT 1,149,743
2017EXOThe War 1,596,959
2018BTS'2,197,808
2019BTS'3,718,230