Circle Chart Hands Out New Million and Platinum Sales/Streaming Certifications for K-Pop’s Latest Releases

Circle Chart has announced a new batch of official sales and streaming certifications covering recent K-pop releases, rewarding artists whose albums and songs have crossed milestone thresholds set by Korea’s music industry certification system. According to the certification rules now applied to music released on or after January 1, 2018, Circle Chart designates album “Platinum” at 250,000 units and awards “Million” status at 1 million units sold, with streaming categories similarly tiered by reach.

The latest updates underscore how quickly mainstream K-pop can translate into measurable commercial performance—ranging from album million certifications across multiple groups to streaming breakthroughs reaching 100 million plays for chart-leading singles.

Sales milestones: multiple groups reach “million” status

Several prominent acts received “million” or higher album certifications this cycle. TXT earned an official million certification for selling more than 1 million copies of its latest mini album, “7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns”.

NCT WISH also posted major results with two certifications for its first full-length album, “Ode to Love.” The regular version earned a million certification for surpassing 1 million copies sold, while the SMC version was certified double platinum for moving more than 500,000 copies.

In the competitive mini-album category, TWS’s “NO TRAGEDY” and &TEAM’s Japanese EP “We on Fire” each received million certifications as well—both credited with over 1 million units sold.

Higher tiers for fast-moving albums and dual-version strategies

Certifications also highlighted the industry’s continued reliance on multi-version releases. PLAVE, for example, received two separate awards tied to different versions of its mini album, “Caligo Pt.2.” The regular edition was certified triple platinum for over 750,000 copies sold, while the POCA version was certified double platinum for exceeding 500,000 units.

ILLIT likewise earned distinct certifications for separate albums. Its 2025 mini album “bomb” was certified double platinum after surpassing 500,000 copies, while its latest mini album “MAMIHLAPINATAPAI” earned a platinum certification for reaching 250,000 units sold.

Meanwhile, NEXZ’s recent single album “Mmchk” earned a platinum certification for selling more than 250,000 copies. The same threshold was reached by MODYSSEY’s debut single album, “1.Got Hooked: An Addictive Symphony,” which was also certified platinum for over 250,000 units sold.

Streaming certifications: older hits still rack up massive plays

Beyond album sales, Circle Chart’s streaming certifications featured both long-lived catalog success and recent breakout tracks. DAY6’s “Time of Our Life”—a hit originally released in 2019—earned a double platinum certification after reaching 200 million streams.

In the highest streaming category featured in this announcement, multiple tracks achieved or surpassed 100 million streams to earn platinum status. Among the songs recognized were LE SSERAFIM’s “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s wife,” BLACKPINK’s “Shut Down,” Park Hyo Shin’s “Goodbye,” and Tei’s “Monologue.”

Why these certifications matter to the industry

Circle Chart’s certification framework—implemented by the Korea Music Content Industry Association beginning with the new system applied to releases from 2018 onward—turns commercial performance into standardized benchmarks. With clear thresholds for albums and songs across download/streaming-related categories, these awards provide a consistent yardstick for record labels, artists, advertisers, and fans tracking momentum.

For artists, certifications can serve as both validation and marketing fuel. For the market at large, they reveal how rapidly fanbase demand can convert into measurable units, and how streaming reach continues to accumulate over time—even years after initial release.

What to watch next

As Circle Chart continues publishing monthly certification batches, the next updates will likely spotlight whether current momentum sustains across follow-up releases—especially for acts that recently secured multiple awards for different versions of the same project.

In streaming, industry attention will also remain on which songs can break into the largest play counts first, as well as which established catalog tracks keep drawing listeners enough to climb additional tiers.