K-pop album exports top $100m for first time in Q1

South Korea's exports of K-pop albums hit a record high of $120 million in the first quarter of this year, customs data showed Tuesday. Outbound shipments of K-pop albums surged 159 percent from a year earlier in the January–March period, marking the first time quarterly exports have exceeded $100 million, according to the Korea Customs Service. Quarterly exports have set consecutive records since the third quarter of 2025, the agency said. The KCS attributed the increase to the global expansion