BTS' 'Arirang' Tops Japan's First-Half Album Sales Chart

SEOUL, June 6 (Yonhap) -- K-pop sensation BTS's fifth studio album was the bestselling album in Japan during the first half of the year, a sales tally released Saturday showed. According to Billboard Japan's first-half Top Album Sales chart, BTS' full-length album "Arirang" sold 706,961 copies, topping the ranking ahead of albums by Japanese artists. Led by the title track "Swim," the 14-track album, released in March, marked the group's first release following a four-year hiatus caused by its members' mandatory military service. Five other K-pop-related acts also placed in the top 20, underscoring the genre's strong popularity in Japan. Japan-based boy group &TEAM ranked second with its third EP, "We on Fire," while Enhypen's seventh mini album, "The Sin: Vanish," came in fourth. Boy group TXT ranked seventh with its eighth mini album, "7th Year: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns," while TWS' "No Tragedy" placed 10th. Boy group Treasure ranked 13th with its third EP, "Love Pulse." BTS, &TEAM, Enhypen, TXT and TWS are signed to labels under Hybe, while Treasure is managed by YG Entertainment.