K-pop’s Bulk-Buying Problem Is Leaving Unopened Albums Behind

Dozens of unopened K-pop albums appeared outside Ewha Womans University Station in Seoul this week, offered free in a cardboard box despite individual albums typically selling for around 20,000 won.

The scene, documented on August 31 and reported by SBS, is another visible example of a longstanding problem surrounding K-pop’s physical album economy. Fans can be incentivized to purchase multiple copies of the same release to increase their chances of gaining access to events such as fan signing sessions, leaving buyers with albums they may no longer want after the entry has been secured.

The problem extends beyond isolated boxes of unwanted records.

An investigation published earlier this year by Hankook Ilbo and The Korea Times examined 625 fan-sign event notices associated with 58 albums released by Korea’s four largest entertainment companies. Of those events, 78.4 percent required the purchase of a physical CD, while fewer than 10 percent allowed entry through purchases of lower-waste smart albums.

Korea Consumer Agency data cited in the investigation found that one in four K-pop fans purchases records specifically to apply for fan events. Randomized photocards and multiple album versions can create additional incentives to purchase duplicate copies.

The environmental consequences have become increasingly difficult to separate from those sales strategies. According to the same investigation, HYBE, SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment produced a combined 6,667 tonnes of disposable plastic between 2021 and 2024.

Fan-led groups have pushed agencies to change those practices. Kpop4Planet previously collected 8,000 unwanted albums during one campaign, many of which were unopened or missing only their collectible photocards.

Physical albums remain an important part of K-pop’s global business. Korean album exports surpassed $300 million for the first time in 2025 even as overall album sales declined for a second consecutive year.

The albums left outside Ewha station are therefore less notable for their number than for what they represent: a physical sales model in which purchasing an album can serve purposes beyond owning or listening to the music itself.