Entertainment Talk

A logistics person explains why your K-pop album comes in six versions

I work in logistics in Incheon. Every comeback season I see pallets of the same album in five or six versions, plus random photocard packs. People abroad ask me why.

Simple answer: first-week sales count physical units, so fans buy several versions to collect different photocards and push the numbers. More versions means more units per fan. The cost is shipping weight, plastic and a lot of albums that are never actually played.

Some agencies now offer platform or QR-code versions that weigh almost nothing, which is better for shipping. Fans still often prefer the full package. I am not judging, just reporting from the warehouse floor.