Continuing on from yesterday’s article, we step straight into part eight of our series of the best-selling albums in South Korean history.
Our list of the ninety-seven albums which have sold more than one million copies in South Korea - making them the best-selling albums in South Korean history - continues with the next ten entries: numbers twenty through eleven.
The figures showcased in this series of articles were sourced from Wikipedia, and all album figures were correct at the time of writing.
20: Seventeen - Attacca (2,132,617 copies sold)
For the sixth time in eight articles, Seventeen showcases their powerhouse album sales yet again.
“Attacca”, including its lead single “Rock with You”, has achieved incredible feats despite only being out for around a year. The EP features six tracks, but a special digital only track - “2 Minus 1” by Joshua and Vernon - is also available, and is a personal favourite of mine.
“Attacca” has sold more than 2.1 million copies to date, and earns its place in the top twenty best-selling South Korean albums.
19: Jo Kwan-woo - Memory (2,140,000 copies sold)
For the fourth and final time in this series of articles, it’s Jo Kwan-woo.
His previous three entries have included 1997’s “Waiting”, 1994’s “My First Story”, and 1996’s “My Third Story About . . .”
However, it’s the artists second album - 1995’s “Memory” - which marks his final entry on this list. Released under Doremi Records, the album is considered one of the best South Korean albums of the 1990’s by music critics.
“Memory” has sold some 2.14 million copies since it was first released, although some claims put these figures to be as potentially high as 3,000,000.
18: NCT Dream - Hot Sauce (2,147,646 copies sold)
The first NCT Dream release to feature the return of member Mark, “Hot Sauce” was the first full-length studio album released by the group.
Repackaged later on as “Hello Future” (which we have already previously covered in this series of articles), “Hot Sauce” is the best-selling NCT Dream release ever, although not the best-selling of any NCT sub-unit.
“Hot Sauce” certainly is on everyone’s lips, closing in on almost 2.2 million copies sold nationwide.
17: Seo Taiji and Boys - Seo Taiji and Boys II (2,200,000 copies sold)
We were definitely starting to get too far along without another entry from the iconic Seo Taiji and Boys - so here are two of them in a row.
First, it’s “Seo Taiji and Boys II”, the group’s second album, that was initially released in 1993. The album was a great success in South Korea, beating out their previous album’s sales figures by around 400,000 copies.
“Seo Taiji and Boys II” is the group’s second best-selling album ever, achieving a total sales record of some 2.2 million copies.
You can check out our review of “Seo Taiji and Boys II” here.
16: Seo Taiji and Boys - Seo Taiji and Boys IV (2,400,000 copies sold)
And, for our final entry from the hip-hop trio who started it all, it’s “Seo Taiji and Boys IV”.
The group’s fourth and final album release, 1995’s “Seo Taiji and Boys IV”, was their single most successful album ever. Its ten tracks, including “Come Back Home” and “Good Bye”, inspired a generation of artists and Koreans.
“Seo Taiji and Boys IV” is the group’s best-selling album, achieving a total of 2.4 million copies sold in South Korea.
You can check out our review of “Seo Taiji and Boys IV” here.
15: NCT 127 - Sticker (2,434,408 copies sold)
The final NCT entry on this list comes from one of the supergroups single most divisive releases ever.
NCT 127's “Sticker” was a song you either loved or hated when it came out, much to the chagrin of many NCTzens. But the eleven-track album was undoubtedly popular, seeing as it made its way so high into this list.
Divisive but popular, “Sticker” has drawn in sales figures of more than 2.4 million copies in South Korea, and more than 3.58 million copies worldwide. It also holds the record for the best-selling album of all time by an act under SM Entertainment, the best-selling K-pop album of 2021 both globally and in the United States (in pure sales), and was the group’s best-selling album.
14: Shin Seung-hun - To Heaven (2,470,000 copies sold)
In his sixth entry on this list of the best-selling albums in South Korea, it’s Shin Seung-hun.
Shin Seung-hun’s 1996 album “To Heaven” comes off the back of his five previous entries in this list: 1998’s “Shin Seung Hun VI”, 1990’s “Reflection of You in Your Smile”, 1991’s “Invisible Smile”, 1993’s “Because I Love You”, and 1994’s “After A Long Time”. Still his best-selling album to date, the artist has never quite yet managed to achieve the levels of success he had accomplished during the 1990’s.
“To Heaven” has been incredibly successful since its initial release, having sold almost 2.5 million copies.
13: Kim Jong-hwan - Reason for Existence (2,500,000 copies sold)
Only his second appearance on this list (after first appearing several articles ago), it’s the return of the “Emperor of the Adult Ballad” - pop ballad singer Kim Jong-hwan.
Kim Jong-hwan’s third studio album - 1996’s “Reason for Existence” - is his best-selling album of all time, and one of the best-selling albums in all of South Korea.
“Reason for Existence” has to be some people’s reason for existence, having sold 2.5 million copies in South Korea alone in the last quarter of a century.
12: Seventeen - Face the Sun (2,562,132 copies sold)
Seventeen’s seventh (and unfortunately last) appearance on the list of the best-selling albums in South Korea comes in at number twelve.
Released just three months ago, “Face the Sun” shows the massive dedication behind Seventeen’s fandom (Carats), and the huge popularity of their songs in South Korea. The nine track album has managed to already become one of the most commercially successful South Korean albums of all time.
“Face the Sun” has sold more than 2.56 million copies across South Korea since it was first released earlier this year.
*Please note: As a popular recent release, figures for this album may drastically change, and the above figures were correct at the time of writing.
11: Lee Moon-sae - Standing Under the Shade of a Roadside Tree (2,580,000 copies sold)
In what is only his second appearance on this list, Korean ballad singer Lee Moon-sae returns with his second best-selling album of all time.
1988’s “Standing Under the Shade of a Roadside Tree” was Lee Moon-sae’s fifth full length album release. The album won the Main Prize at the Golden Disc Awards in that same year, winning the artist the title for the third year in a row.
With some 2.58 million copies of “Standing Under the Shade of a Roadside Tree” sold, the album just misses out on reaching the top ten best-selling albums in South Korean history.
Have you listened to any of the albums listed above, or do you own any of them? Which of these ten albums are your favourite? Let us know by commenting on our socials @KpopWise. And make sure to tune in tomorrow as we showcase the top ten albums on our list of the best-selling albums in South Korean history.