Stray Kids returned on August 7th, leading the K-pop boy-group comeback season with a record-breaking first-week sales of 3.28 million copies. The group is spearheading a wave of comebacks from major artists including Big Bang, NCT 127, ENHYPEN, and rookie group AlphaDriveOne. According to Hanteo Global, K-pop album sales in the first half of 2026 reached 49.53 million copies, surpassing the previous first-half record of 46.17 million set in 2023. With Big Bang celebrating their 20th debut anniversary by releasing new music after 4 years and launching a global tour, major groups are continuing to release albums throughout the second half of the year. The K-pop album market, which briefly slowed following the COVID-19 pandemic, is expected to set a new all-time annual sales record this year as it returns to a growth trajectory.