Ahead of its 30th anniversary music awards, Hanteo Chart revealed the best-selling albums and best-selling Korean artists from 1993 to 2020. Check out the list below!

Best-Selling Albums on Hanteo From 1993 to 1999: Seo Taiji & Boys, More

On Dec. 6, Hanteo Music Awards 2022 took to its official website to look back on the albums and artists with remarkable album sales in honor of its 30th anniversary.

While Hanteo announced the top 10 best-selling albums from 1993 to 1999 and the top 10 best-selling artists from 2000 to 2020, this article will only focus on the album or artist sitting at No. 1 on the lists.

RELATED: Hanteo Chart Honors 30th Anniversary Through Offline Music Awards

According to the 1993 list, the Korean album with the highest sales was Seo Taiji and Boys' second studio album "Seo Taiji and Boys II," which sold 2.13 million copies in total. Hanteo noted that this album is "Korea's first official album that sold 2 million copies."

In 1994, Shin Seung Hun's "Shin Seung Hun Vol.2" took No. 1 with 1.83 million copies sold, while Kim Gun Mo's "Wrongful Encounter" ranked first in 1995 with 2,860,000 copies sold. "Wrongful Encounter" previously held the Guinness World Record for the best-selling album in South Korean history.

ALSO READ: BTS, SEVENTEEN, BLACKPINK, and More: Hanteo Chart Calculations Reveal the Best-Selling K-Pop Albums of 2020

In 1996, Shin Seung Hun once again recorded the best-selling album in Korea with his studio album "Shin Seung Hun V" that sold 2,480,000 copies. SM Entertainment's first boy group, H.O.T, then took first place in the 1997 top 10 list with their second studio album "WOLF & SHEEP," which sold 1,520,000 copies.

Shin Seung Hun reclaimed the first spot on the 1998 list with his studio album "Shin Seung Hun VI," which recorded 1,310,000 total sales. In 1999, Jo Sung Mo's 4th Album "NO MORE LOVE" was the No. 1 best-selling Korean album on Hanteo after selling 1949,043 total copies.

See the full list here.

Best-Selling Korean Artists on Hanteo From 2000 to 2020: BTS, EXO, Girls' Generation, More

From 2000 to 2020, the best-selling Korean artists on Hanteo varied, with some topping the Top 10 or Top 30 lists in several years.

In particular, SG Wannabe achieved the No. 1 highest sales in 2000, 2005, 2006, and 2007. Omnibus(VA) ranked first in 2001, while Cool (a co-ed band) placed first in 2002.

Female ballad singer Lee Soo Young was the best-selling Korean artist for two years in a row from 2003 to 2004. YG Entertainment's first boy group, BIGBANG, earned the No. 1 spot on the 2008 list.

READ MORE: 2021 Hanteo Music Awards Announce the Top 10 Winners of the 'First-Week Sales Record Award'

The following years were dominated by SM Entertainment artists such as Girls Generation (who had the highest sales in 2009 and 2010) and Super Junior (who sold the most albums in 2011 and 2012).

EXO had the most album sales among Korean artists in three non-consecutive years, specifically in 2013, 2015, and 2016. The 2015 list is ruled by TVXQ.

Finally, the best-selling Korean artist starting in 2017 is none other than BTS. While the list of best-selling artists for 2021 wasn't revealed, it is reported that BTS also secured first place for five consecutive years (2017 to 2021).

Here's the Timeline of #1 Best-Selling Korean Artists on Hanteo From 2000 to 2020:

• 2000 - SG Wannabe (487,868 copies)
• 2001 - Omnibus(VA) (2,505,981 copies)
• 2002 - Cool (934,838 copies)
• 2003 - Lee Soo Young (660,429 copies)
• 2004 - Lee Soo Young (724,592 copies)
• 2005 - SG Wannabe (561,902 copies)
• 2006 - SG Wannabe (365,408 copies)
• 2007 - SG Wannabe (487,868 copies)
• 2008 - BIGBANG (911,898 copies)
• 2009 - Girls' Generation (409,674 copies)
• 2010 - Girls' Generation (238,789 copies)
• 2011 - Super Junior (349,976 copies)
• 2012 - Super Junior (348,053 copies)
• 2013 - EXO (975,230 copies)
• 2014 - TVXQ (273,438 copies)
• 2015 - EXO (1,230,710 copies)
• 2016 - EXO (1,394,305 copies)
• 2017 - BTS (1,758,109 copies)
• 2018 - BTS (2,602,687 copies)
• 2019 - BTS (3,375,919 copies)
• 2020 - BTS (7,226,632 copies)

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Written by Maria Scott