BTS has become the first Korean artist to
make the cover of Time magazine.
Fans are eager to get their hands on a copy,
leading to a surge in sales.
Seo Eun-kyung has the full story.
Another big achievement for BTS.
The seven-member boyband became the first
K-pop artist to feature on the cover of Time
magazine.
The October edition of Time magazine, with
BTS on the cover, has seen an explosion in
sales as fans of the boyband scramble to buy
copies.
According to Kyobo Book Centre, the largest
bookstore chain in Korea, over three-thousand
copies of the October edition of Time have
been sold online over the past ten days, and
a thousand copies have been sold in Kyobo's
bookstores in the past week.
The bookstore chain does not usually sell
weekly magazines online, but it made an exception
to meet high customer demand.
Kyobo book centre said that usually it sells
around 100 copies of Time Magazine each week.
Other online distributors have also seen sales
go through the roof.
Online retailer Yes24 said that a total of
13 thousand copies were pre-ordered before
its official sale began.
The magazine is the number one bestseller
in Yes24's foreign books and overseas magazines
section.
The K-pop mega group are among Time magazine's
annual picks for "Next Generation Leaders",
under the title of "Taking K-pop worldwide".
Time described the group as "the most popular
boy band in the world".
It also compared their performances to the
Beatles, One direction, New Kids on the Block
and NSYNC and added that BTS is breaking new
ground by achieving global success "without
catering to Western audiences".
Meanwhile, the K-pop superstars renewed their
seven year exclusive contract with Big Hit
Entertainment on Thursday.
They are currently on a world tour to promote
their 'Love Yourself' album series.
Seo Eun-kyung, Arirang News
