2018 in South Korean music

The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in 2018 in music in South Korea.

Notable achievements and events

 * January 10–11 – IU and BTS win the digital and album daesangs, respectively, at the 32nd Golden Disc Awards.
 * February 25 – CL and Exo headline the 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, serving as representatives of K-pop at the event.
 * February 28 – At the annual Korean Music Awards, BTS, Kang Tae-gu, and Hyukoh win the grand prizes.
 * April 1 and 3 – The Spring is Coming Korean cultural diplomacy concert takes place in Pyongyang, North Korea, which featured performances from various South Korean musicians including Cho Yong-pil, Red Velvet, Lee Sun-hee, Baek Ji-young, and Seohyun.
 * April 20 – The Korea Music Content Association launches new certification system for albums, downloads, and streaming in South Korea.
 * May 27 – Love Yourself: Tear by BTS becomes the first K-pop album to top the Billboard 200, as well as the highest charting album by any Asian act.
 * May 28 – Twice's "Wake Me Up" becomes the first single by a foreign female artist to be certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).
 * May 29 – BTS's "Fake Love" becomes the first K-pop song to enter the top-ten on the Billboard Hot 100, and the 17th non-English song to do so in the chart's history.
 * June 16 – "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" by Blackpink records 36.2 million views on YouTube video within 24 hours, setting a new record by a Korean act.
 * June 25 – Blackpink's "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and Square Up simultaneously become the highest-charting song and album by a K-pop girl group in the US at the time.
 * August 8 – Red Velvet's "Power Up" become the first ever song by an SM Entertainment artist to achieve Perfect All-Kill on the.
 * October 24 – The 9th government-run Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards take place. Kim Min-ki, Jo Dong-jin, Gim Jeong-taek, and BTS are awarded with the Order of Cultural Merit; BTS were the youngest recipients of the honor in South Korean history. Yoon Sang is awarded with the Presidential Commendation and Kang San-ae and Choi Jin-hee receive the Prime Mister's Commendation.
 * November 5 – Twice become the fastest K-pop girl group to reach 20 million views on YouTube with "Yes or Yes", doing so in 10 hours and 27 minutes.
 * November 9 – "Mic Drop" (Steve Aoki remix) is certified platinum by the RIAA, making BTS the first Korean group with a platinum-certified single in the US.
 * November 12 – Exo becomes the first group to surpass 10 million total album sales in South Korea.
 * December 1 – At the annual Melon Music Awards, iKon and BTS win the grand prizes.
 * December 10, 12, 14 – The 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards are held in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong over the course of a week. BTS and Twice receive the grand prizes at the ceremony.
 * According to Forbes, "the South Korean music market experienced a 17.9% increase in revenue growth in 2018, and it was described as 'shifting from 'potential' to 'power' player'" on the global stage.

Debuting groups

 * Ateez
 * D-Crunch
 * DreamNote
 * Fanatics - Flavor
 * Forestella
 * Fromis 9
 * (G)I-dle
 * Girlkind
 * Gugudan SeMiNa
 * GWSN
 * Honey Popcorn
 * Iz*One
 * JBJ95
 * Loona
 * Maywish
 * Nature
 * NeonPunch
 * Noir
 * NTB
 * Oh!GG
 * Pristin V
 * Saturday
 * Spectrum
 * Stray Kids
 * Target
 * UNB
 * Uni.T
 * W24
 * We Girls
 * WJMK

Solo debuts

 * Ash Island
 * Elkie
 * Haon
 * Ha Hyun-woo
 * Holland
 * Hoya
 * Hynn
 * Jennie
 * J-Hope
 * Jin Longguo
 * Jung Il-hoon
 * Katie
 * Key
 * Kim Dong-han
 * Lee Chang-sub
 * Leo
 * Mino
 * Moonbyul
 * Onew
 * Zior Park
 * Sohee
 * Sori
 * Son Dong-woon
 * Sooyoung
 * twlv
 * Vinxen
 * Wheein
 * Yoo Seon-ho
 * Youra
 * Yubin
 * Yuju
 * Yuri

Disbandments

 * Drunken Tiger
 * Fiestar
 * Homme
 * JBJ
 * Kiha & The Faces
 * Melody Day
 * Mr.Mr
 * NU'EST W
 * Rainz
 * Secret
 * SSAW
 * Stellar
 * Tahiti
 * The East Light
 * Triple H
 * Trouble Maker
 * Uni.T

Deaths

 * Maeng Yu-na (aged 29), singer
 * Seo Min-woo (aged 33), singer (100%)