New data finds that exports of K-pop albums in the first half of the year posted a new high.

According to statistics released by the Korea Customs Service on Tuesday, album exports in the first six months of the year reached nearly 133 million U.S. dollars, setting a record as they climbed more than 17 percent compared to the same period last year.

By destination, Japan placed first with K-pop album exports amounting to roughly 48-and-a-half million dollars followed by the U.S., China, Germany, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Netherlands.

Despite having what is considered the strongest domestic music market, the U.S. came in ahead of China, which ranked second after Japan from 2012 to last year, with the exception of 2020.

The latest data appears to show that K-pop has become a mainstream genre in North America.