PSY’s “Gangnam Style” has become the first K-pop music video to surpass 6 billion views on YouTube, according to his agency P Nation. The milestone was reached on July 17, nearly 14 years after the song was released on July 15, 2012.
The climb from 5 billion to 6 billion views took much longer than the video’s early rise. “Gangnam Style” crossed the 5-billion mark on December 30, 2023.
The video became the first in YouTube history to reach 1 billion views in December 2012, just months after its release.
The achievement was so unprecedented that it affected YouTube itself. According to Otakukart, the video broke the platform’s view counter.
PSY marks the occasion onstage
PSY celebrated the milestone during a SUMMERSWAG 2026 concert in Gwacheon.
Speaking to the audience, PSY said, according to The Star, “I’ll post footage from today’s performance on YouTube to thank fans for helping the video reach 6 billion views.”
To commemorate the moment, PSY wore the same outfit from the original “Gangnam Style” music video.
The song’s chart history and global impact
Beyond its YouTube success, “Gangnam Style” became a landmark hit in the United States. It spent seven consecutive weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, helping pave the way for K-pop’s expansion into the Western music market.
Directed by Cho Soo-Hyun, the video became famous for its comedic dance sequences, including PSY’s signature horse-riding choreography performed in a stable and between the legs of a dancing man.
“Gangnam Style” is also credited with opening YouTube’s “Billion Views Club” for music videos. Since then, artists including Justin Bieber (“Baby”), Taylor Swift (“Blank Space”) and Ed Sheeran (“Shape of You”) have joined the milestone.
Several K-pop acts have followed, including BTS with “Dynamite” and “Butter” and BLACKPINK with “Pink Venom” and “How You Like That.” Many industry observers trace that wave of global crossover success back to PSY’s 2012 breakthrough.
PSY’s career and current work
Born Park Jae-sang, PSY is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter and founder of the talent agency P Nation, where he mentors K-pop artists.
Since “Gangnam Style,” he has released songs including “Gentleman,” “Daddy” featuring CL and “That That,” his 2022 collaboration with BTS member Suga. His latest studio album, PSY 9th was released in 2022.
PSY’s live performances continue to draw large audiences. His annual SUMMERSWAG tour, launched in 2011, has expanded to 14 stadium shows across nine cities in 2026.
The tour has also generated measurable economic benefits. Joint research by Sokcho City, telecommunications provider KT and Korea University found that a single 2025 SUMMERSWAG concert in Sokcho generated about ₩7.5 billion in local visitor spending.
