Purpose - Korean pop music and movies have attracted a vast audience across the world, resulting in a rapid increase in the export of cultural products in the 21st century. This phenomenon is often called as the Korean Wave. The Korean music industry has played a pivotal role in the export of cultural goods and services, as well as the general Korean Wave phenomenon. This research was performed to examine the growth pattern and competitiveness of the Korean music industry by region. Design/Methodology/Approach - This study collected data on the seven sub-industries of the music industry of Seoul, seven Cities and nine Provinces for the period from 2013 to 2018. The data are regrouped for four regions: Seoul Metropolitan Region (Seoul, Incheon, and Kyunggi-do), Central Region (Daejeon, Sejong, Kangwon-do, Chungcheongnam-do, and Chungcheongbuk-do), Honam Region (Kwangju, Cheonranam-do, Cheonrabuk-do, and Jeju-do), and Yeongnam Region (Busan, Daegu, Wulsan, Kyungsangnam-do, and Kyungsangbuk-do). The paper then examined the data by applying shift-share analysis and regional growth differential analysis. Findings - The Korean music industry has experienced rapid growth, while the metropolitan region leads the Korean music industry in sales. However, the metropolitan region lacks competitiveness in some sub-industries. Such sub-industries in other regions will be able to compete with leading regions and increase their competitiveness over capital regions. Research Implications - The Korean music industry plays a central role in the export of culture related services, products and goods. Moreover, the Korean music industry can improve images of Korean goods and services of international consumers. For a sustained growth of the Korean music industry, it is pivotal to find effective methods to correct the regional imbalances within the Korean music industry.