Seventeen earns third million certification from Japan's Recording Industry Association, first for a Korean-language album

K-pop group Seventeen has once again left a significant mark on the Japanese music market.

According to Pledis Entertainment and the Recording Industry Association of Japan, Seventeen's 11th mini album "SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN" surpassed 1 million copies in cumulative shipments in Japan as of June, earning the Gold Disc "Million" certification.

The achievement marks the first Million certification by any overseas artist — including those from Korea — in 2026.

The Recording Industry Association of Japan awards monthly certifications based on cumulative shipment figures, starting from Gold (100,000 copies) through Platinum (250,000 copies), with the Million title granted to albums exceeding 1 million copies.

The certification is Seventeen's third Million in Japan, following their local debut EP "DREAM" and mini album "FML." Notably, two of the three Million-certified releases — "FML" and "SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN" — are Korean-language albums.

According to data from Hybe Japan, Seventeen is the only K-pop act since the 2000s to surpass 1 million shipments in Japan with an album released in Korean, without Japanese-language adaptations or localization. Industry observers say the group has captured the Japanese mainstream market on the strength of the music alone.

The album had already set an unparalleled record in K-pop history by selling more than 5.09 million copies in its first week of release. Particularly encouraging, industry insiders say, is that Japanese sales — now more than a year and eight months after release — continue to trend upward rather than tapering off. The industry reads this as the clearest sign that new fans are continuously joining the fandom in Japan, beyond the staying power of the core fanbase.

Seventeen said through Pledis Entertainment that they were "happy and delighted to receive this amazing news," adding, "We are sincerely grateful to our CARATs (the group's fandom name) for their support. We will continue to show you a variety of activities, so please keep cheering us on."

Seventeen is currently expanding activities through individual units and solo projects. The unit V8 — formed by The8 and Vernon, who released their first mini album last month — will hold a standalone concert Saturday. Dino, the group's all-around youngest member, has announced a solo debut on Aug. 3 under his alter ego "Picheorin."