BTS’ Map of the Soul: Persona sets record for bestselling album in South Korea
- The album has sold nearly 3.4 million copies in their home country as of May this year
- It has beaten an almost 25-year-old South Korean sales record held by Kim Gun-mo’s 1995 album, Mis-Encounter
K-pop idols BTS have entered the record books once again, this time for the bestselling album in South Korean history, according to Guinness World Records.
The seven-member pop outfit’s latest release, “Map of the Soul: Persona”, claimed the record by selling 3,399,302 copies in their home country as of May this year. The seven-track album was released just a month earlier.
The boy band beat an almost 25-year-old South Korean sales record – set well before the era of YouTube and digital streaming – previously held by singer-songwriter Kim Gun-mo’s 1995 album, “Mis-Encounter” (also known as “Wrongful Encounter”).
“Map of the Soul: Persona” made its debut at No 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart in April, becoming the third straight BTS release to hit the top of the US music charts, following 2018’s “Love Yourself: Answer” and “Love Yourself: Tear” albums.
The new album features collaborations with American singer and songwriter Halsey on the single Boy With Luv and British star Ed Sheeran on the track Make it Right.
BTS are no strangers to Guinness World Records and have claimed a range of other titles, including the most-viewed music video in a 24-hour period for Boy With Luv which debuted with 74.6 million views on April 12-13.