K-pop's new power fans? Middle-aged Americans with money and time to spend
Last year, the United States imported more kimchi from Korea than K-pop albums. However, in the first half of 2026, K-pop album exports to the United States surged to three times the value of kimchi exports, while the country surpassed Japan and China to become the largest overseas market for K-pop albums. The United States was not alone in seeing a surge in K-pop album imports. Germany became…
In the first half of 2026, K-pop's popularity in the United States witnessed a remarkable surge, surpassing the value of kimchi imports from Korea. Germany also emerged as the fourth-largest overseas market for K-pop albums, with imports increasing more than sixfold year-over-year. CDs experienced a resurgence, defying predictions of their demise.
Korea solidified its position as the world's third-largest music export powerhouse, trailing only the United States and Britain. The global music market was captivated by K-pop's unprecedented growth and the evolving ways in which fans consumed the music.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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