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 the fourth-largest overseas market after its imports increased more than sixfold in a year. K-pop also breathed new life into CDs, once thought destined for extinction, while fans in their 40s and 50s emerged as an increasingly visible part of the fandom. Korea also rose to become the world’s third-largest “music export powerhouse,” behind only the United States and Britain, breaking the English-speaking world’s monopoly on the top three. The global music market witnessed one K-pop surprise after another in the first half of this year. As striking as the pace of growth was the way that growth unfolded: Where, by whom and how K-pop is consumed are all changing. US reshapes K-pop album expor