List of best-selling albums in South Korea

The best-selling album in South Korea is Map of the Soul: 7, 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.[1] 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.[2][3][4] Of all 68 albums which sold more than one million copies, all are by Korean artists with the exception of Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard (1992). 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[5] and BTS' Love Yourself: Answer, became the first album to sell more than 2 million copies since 2000 in 2018.[6] BTS' Map of the Soul: Persona became the first album to sell more than 3 million copies since 1997 in 2019, followed by Map of the Soul: 7 which became the first album ever to surpass 4 million sales in 2020.[7] In 2019, BTS became the first act to sell 1 million copies on both an album and it's repackage, with both Wings and You Never Walk Alone passing 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.

For albums with certifications, see List of certified albums in South Korea.

BTS' Map of the Soul: 7 is the best-selling album of all time in South Korea, with more than 4.2 million copies sold. Furthermore, they achieved the first album to sell more than two million copies since 2000 in 2018 with Love Yourself: Answer and have one more album which sold more than 3 million copies, and three more albums which sold more than 2 million copies each.
Kim Gun-mo's Wrongful Encounter is estimated to be the 3rd-best-selling album of all time in South Korea, with 3.3 million copies.
Exo's XOXO became the first album released since 2001 to sell more than 1 million copies. Four more albums of the group sold more than one million copies each and they released the best-selling albums each year from 2013 to 2017.

Between January 1999 and November 2008, the Music Industry Association of Korea (MIAK) charts were published monthly, with fifty chart positions and each album's detailed sales. The Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) 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.[8] 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
Colors
Standard album
Standard and reissue albums
Compilation album
Original soundtrack

2 million or more copies
ArtistAlbumYearSalesEstimates[a]Ref.
BTS Map of the Soul: 7 2020 4,248,270+ [9]
BTS Map of the Soul: Persona 2019 3,794,652 [10]
Kim Gun-moWrongful Encounter19952,860,0003,300,000[11][4]
BTS Love Yourself: Answer 2018 2,614,010 [12]
Lee Moon-saeStanding Under the Shade of a Roadside Tree19882,580,000[13]
Shin Seung-hun To Heaven 1996 2,470,000 [14]
Byun Jin-sub Back To You 1989 2,400,000 3,000,000 [15][16]
Seo Taiji and Boys Seo Taiji and Boys IV 1995 2,400,000 [17]
BTS Love Yourself: Her 2017 2,244,206 [18]
BTS Love Yourself: Tear 2018 2,234,017 [19]
Seo Taiji and Boys Seo Taiji and Boys II 1993 2,200,000 [17]
BTS Wings (Full & RG) 2016–2017 2,190,691 [20]
Jo Kwan-woo Memory 1995 2,140,000 3,200,000 [21][22]
Jo Sung-moLet Me Love20002,072,029[23][24]
Jo Sung-moFor Your Soul19992,047,152[25]
Byun Jin-sub To Be Alone 1988 1,800,000 2,800,000 [16]
Kim Jong-hwan For Love 1997 1,100,000 3,000,000 [26][27]
Kim Hyun-sik My Love by My Side 1991 1,100,000 2,000,000 [28][29]
Lee Moon-saeWhen Love Passes By1987900,0002,850,000[30][13]
Kim Jong-hwan Reason for Existence 1996 900,000 2,500,000 [26][31]

1 million–1.9 million copies
ArtistAlbumYearSalesRef.
EXO Don't Mess Up My Tempo (Full & RG) 2018 1,967,290 [32]
DJ Doc DJ2DOC 1996 1,950,000 [33]
g.o.dChapter 3: Lies20001,849,381[23][34]
Kim Gun-mo Excuse 1993 1,830,000 [35]
Kim Gun-mo Exchange 1996 1,810,000 [35]
Seo Taiji and Boys Seo Taiji and Boys 1992 1,800,000 [17]
Shin Seung-hun After A Long Time 1994 1,800,000 [36]
Various artistsThe More I Love You20011,750,354[37]
g.o.dChapter 4: Road20011,738,082[38]
Shin Seung-hun Because I Love You 1993 1,700,000 [36]
EXO The War (Full & RG) 2017 1,671,720 [39]
Roo'ra Angel With Lost Wings 1995 1,600,000 [40]
Seo Taiji and BoysSeo Taiji and Boys III19941,600,000[41]
Jo Sung-moClassic20001,599,111[42]
Shin Seung-hun Invisible Love 1991 1,580,000 [36]
H.O.T.We Hate All Kinds of Violence19961,500,000[43]
H.O.T.Wolf and Sheep19971,500,000[44]
Lee Moon-saeI Don't Know Yet19851,500,000[13]
Wanna One 1X1=1 (To Be One) (EP & RG) 2017 1,454,231 [45]
Shin Seung-hun Reflection of You in Your Smile 1990 1,400,000 [14]
Kim Won-jun While You Were Not Here 1994 1,400,000 [46]
Kim Gun-moAnother Days20011,397,388[47]
H.O.T.I Yah!19991,383,985[48]
Jo Kwan-woo My Third Story About... 1996 1,300,000 [22]
Seo TaijiUltramania20001,300,000[49]
EXO XOXO (Full & RG) 2013 1,296,063 [50]
EXO EXODUS (Full & RG) 2015 1,285,860 [51]
NCT 127 Neo Zone (Full & RG) 2020 1,225,131 [52]
Byun Jin-sub Farewell 1990 1,200,000 [15]
Whitney Houston/various artists The Bodyguard Original Soundtrack Album 1992 1,200,000 [53][54]
Clon Are You Ready? 1996 1,200,000 [33]
Sechs Kies School Byeolgok 1997 1,200,000 [55]
EXOEX'ACT (Full & RG)20161,187,681 [56]
Seo TaijiSeo Tai Ji19981,133,736[57]
H.O.T.Resurrection19981,103,439[58]
015B The Third Wave 1992 1,000,000 [59]
015B The Fourth Movement 1993 1,000,000 [59]
015B Big 5 1994 1,000,000 [59]
Cho Yong-pilWoman Outside The Window19801,000,000[60]
DJ Doc 4th Album 1997 1,000,000 [61]
Jo Kwan-woo My First Story 1994 1,000,000 [22]
Jo Kwan-woo Waiting 1997 1,000,000 [62]
Joo Hyun-miCouple's Party19841,000,000[43]
Kim Gun-moSleepless Rainy Night19921,000,000[63]
Kim Gun-moMyself19971,000,000[63]
Kim Wan-sun Pierrot Smiles at Us 1990 1,000,000 [64]
Sechs Kies Special Album 1998 1,000,000 [65]
Shin Jung Hyun & Yup Juns Shin Jung Hyun & Yup Juns Vol. 1 1974 1,000,000 [66]
The Pearl Sisters My Dear 1968 1,000,000 [67]

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.

YearArtistAlbumSalesRef.
1998[b]Seo TaijiSeo Tai Ji1,133,736[57]
1999Jo Sung-moFor Your Soul1,949,043[48]
2000Jo Sung-moLet Me Love1,968,967[68]
2001Various artistsThe More I Love You1,688,129[69]
2002Cool7even647,052[70]
2003Kim Gun-moHestory529,416[71]
2004Seo Taiji7th Issue482,066[72]
2005SG WannabeSaldaga (Full & RG)414,855[72]
2006TVXQ"O"-Jung.Ban.Hap. (Full & RG)349,317[73]
2007SG WannabeThe Sentimental Chord190,998[74]
2008[c]TVXQMirotic (Full & RG)502,837[75]
2009[d]Super JuniorSorry, Sorry (Full & RG)250,673[76]
2010Girls' GenerationOh! (Full & RG)334,785[77]
2011Super JuniorMr. Simple (Full & RG)473,242[78]
2012Super JuniorSexy, Free & Single (Full & RG)480,622[79]
2013EXOXOXO (Full & RGs)1,006,473[80]
2014EXOOverdose657,765[81]
2015EXOEXODUS (Full & RGs)1,211,237[82]
2016EXOEX'ACT (Full & RGs)1,149,743[83]
2017EXOThe War (Full & RGs)1,596,959[84]
2018BTSLove Yourself: Answer2,197,808[85]
2019BTSMap of the Soul: Persona3,718,230[86]

See also

Notes
  • ^ Estimates are based on "Gil Board Chart,"[87] illegal copies sold from pirated CD's or cassettes. Although considered unofficial, some estimates have been verified and used in official capacity such as Guinness World Records and the Golden Disc Awards.[26]
  • ^ Sales figure only includes sales up to August 1998.
  • ^ Sales figure also includes sales of the week ending January 6, 2009.
  • ^ Sales figure only includes sales up to the week ending December 12, 2009.

References
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  9. Cumulative sales of Map of the Soul: 7:
  10. Cumulative sales of Map of the Soul: Persona:
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  19. Cumulative Sales of Love Yourself: Tear:
  20. Cumulative sales of Wings:
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  39. Cumulative sales of The War:
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  51. Cumulative sales of Exodus:
  52. Cumulative sales of Neo Zone:
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