Lee Mi-joo Drops Jaw-Dropping Revenue Figures: BLACKPINK, BTS, EXO Songs Generated Billions of KRW
Airing on May 16, episode 265 focused on the theme “Smells Like Money~ Hits Worth Billions!” and introduced some of Korea’s most profitable songs ever released.
Host Lee Mi-joo kicked things off with a trivia teaser:
“Do you know what Rosé‘s ‘APT.,’ EXO‘s ‘Growl,’ and BTS‘s ‘Dynamite’ all have in common? They’re mega-hits that earned astronomical profits.”
She went on to reveal the staggering figures:
- Rosé’s “APT.” reportedly earned ₩13.3 billion (approx. $9.6M USD) in streaming revenue alone.
- EXO’s “Growl” pulled in ₩10.5 billion (approx. $7.6M USD) from physical album sales.
- And BTS’s global smash “Dynamite”? An estimated ₩245.7 billion (approx. $176 million USD) in total revenue.
The episode also spotlighted Kim Jang-hoon‘s hit “I Am a Man” from 2001. According to music critic Im Jin-mo, during the transition from the 1990s to 2000s, “college girls either stanned god or Kim Jang-hoon.”
At his peak, Kim reportedly earned over ₩8 billion (approx. $5.8M USD) per year. Co-hosts Kim Hee-chul and Lee Mi-joo were visibly shocked by the number.
Kim Hee-chul added:
“He did over 300 events a year and appeared in around 40–50 commercials annually. But he donated all his ad income.”
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He went on to share that Kim once gifted cars to his staff 19 in total and even wrapped ₩5 million in newspaper as a surprise bonus for his manager. When asked about his own most expensive gift to a staff member, Kim Hee-chul humbly replied:
“I give a lot of congratulatory money. My staff went through so much by my side. Without them, I wouldn’t have received all this love.”
He also highlighted the “I Am a Man” music video, where actor Cha Seung-won played a rival character, adding to the episode’s nostalgic flair.
“20th Century Hit Song” airs every Thursday at 8:30 PM KST on KBS Joy, and is also available via LG U+tv (ch.1), Genie tv (ch.41), SK Btv (ch.53), and the my K mobile app. Channel availability may vary by region.