(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with Hybe's earnings call; RECASTS headline; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, July 28 (Yonhap) -- K-pop powerhouse Hybe reported record quarterly sales and operating profit on Tuesday, boosted by the highly anticipated return of superstar group BTS.

Operating profit for the April-June period reached 170.9 billion won (US$117 million), up 159.3 percent from a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing. Sales soared 105.5 percent on-year to 1.45 trillion won, while net profit jumped 613 percent to 109.8 billion won over the cited period.

The operating profit outperformed an earlier market forecast of 155 billion won compiled by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency, by 10.5 percent.

"It marks the first time that the company's quarterly sales have surpassed 1 trillion won, and its quarterly operating profit also topped 100 billion won for the first time," Hybe said in a statement. "Both sales and operating profit reached all-time highs on a quarterly basis."

The company said its first-half sales also exceeded 2 trillion won for the first time, driven by a strong second quarter.

Hybe credited the strong quarterly performance to BTS' "Arirang" world tour, which began in April and was described by the company as the biggest in K-pop history.

The group's fifth studio album, also titled "Arirang" and released in March, ranked No. 1 in CD and vinyl sales in the United States, according to the company. Hybe said the album also helped lift South Korea to third place among global music exporters, behind the U.S. and Britain, citing figures from U.S. music data firm Luminate.

Several other Hybe artists also delivered strong first-half album sales, with Tomorrow X Together, Enhypen, &Team, Boynextdoor, Tws and rookie group Cortis all becoming million-sellers based on data from Circle Chart, the company said.

CEO Lee Jae-sang said in an earnings call that the results showed the company had "redefined the global entertainment market in the second quarter" and proved it was core export infrastructure for South Korea's culture industry. Describing the earnings as the result of the firm's steadfast efforts to reform its business, he said the company would continue pursuing expansion and growth strategies.

sshim@yna.co.kr

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