American K-pop fans are likely familiar with how the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certifies albums. We’ve heard about Gold, Platinum, and even Diamond records.
For example: gold comes after half a million records are sold or songs from an album are streamed 750 million times (or a combination of the two). Platinum certification occurs after 1 million sales or 1.5 billion streams; and Diamond happens after 10 million units are sold.
But how do things work in South Korea?
The Circle Chart is the South Korean equivalent of the American Billboard charts, and also issues certifications similar to the RIAA. In South Korea, albums are certified Platinum once they reach 250,000 sales. Since 2018, albums that have sold a million copies or more get a new certification called “Million.”
In a real world context, in June of 2024, Stray Kids earned a “double million” certification for their 2022 EP ODDINARY. They received this certification for selling over 2 million copies.