K-Book Trends -

Search word : "Essay", Search result : 367

[TREND / ONE-LINER QUOTES]

One-Liner Quotes Two Ways to Read Spring in April Columnist’s Pick 2024.05.07 Former journalist for Elle and Esquire, Min Yong-Jun is a freelance columnist, appearing on TV, lecturing, and writing. He wrote Yesterday’s Film, Today’s Director, and Tomorrow’s Conversation (Zene Scene), a collection of interviews he had with 13 directors. The seasons are always honest and dutiful - they do what they must when the time comes, without hesitation. In spring, it sows what it has to, blooms what it has to, and declares another cycle of seasons to begin again. Spring is always an invigorating and promising season, as if giving those who have missed the start of a new year a second chance to get back on the starting line. Although we often say that spring begins in March, it is usually April when we can truly enjoy it. So, I have selected 2 books that I think are perfect for April, when spring fully blooms. ...

VOL.70 / 2024.05

[TREND / SPECIAL PROJECT]

Korea is Now All About Plants!

Special Project [Book × Plant] Korea is Now All About Plants! 2024.04.01 By their very nature, books are vessels of knowledge encompassing all fields. Endless topics can be written about depending on the material and message. In the [Book × _____ ] series, experts recommend Korean books in their respective fields that you’ve been curious about but had trouble discovering more about. Now, let’s jump into the infinite world of books through the collaboration of books with various fields. Childhood dreams inspired by the beauty of plants My first dream in life was to be a botanist. I was only 6 years old - a kindergartener. It was thanks to my mother, who loved to grow plants, and my father, who loved nature so much that he took me on trips whenever he could. The fact that I grew up in the countryside and was always around plants was also one of the reasons why I wanted to be a ...

VOL.69 / 2024.04

[TREND / TOPIC]

How Book Club Platforms Captivate Readers

Topic How Book Club Platforms Captivate Readers 2024.03.11 It is the age of communities. From sneaker manufacturers to franchise cafes, companies are putting as much effort into building communities as they are into making things. Gathering loyal fans in one place to generate buzz and feedback has become a proven business strategy in an environment where we are bombarded with information and products. The publishing industry is no exception. Publishers and bookstores are opening cafes and book clubs, creating apps, and publishing newsletters. They reward book club members with exclusive editions of books and merchandise to give them a sense of belonging, or even let them choose the cover design of a new book.Beyond the business strategy of the publishing industry, the importance of book-reading communities is growing every day in the overall book culture ecosystem. There is something contagious about people’s activities. If you are surrounded ...

VOL.68 / 2024.03

[INFORMATION / K-BOOK MAP]

Pohang: The Landmarks That Inspired the Life and Literature of Bora Chung

K-Book Map Pohang: The Landmarks That Inspired the Life and Literature of Bora Chung 2026.03 Pohang, the City Beloved by a Master of Sci-Fi Bora Chung is one of Korea’s most prominent science fiction writers. Her short story collection, Cursed Bunny, was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2022, and her work Your Utopia reached the finals of the Philip K. Dick Award in 2025. Pohang is the city dearest to Chung’s heart. It provides her with abundant sci-fi imagination and a vibrant energy for life. Originally a lifelong resident of Seoul, the author moved to Pohang five years ago following her marriage. Now, Pohang has become her new sanctuary, a space of both life and art where she continues to craft her brilliant science fiction works. 〈What happens when Pohang and science f...

VOL.92 / 2026.03

[INFORMATION / BEST SELLERS]

Which Foreign Books Did Korean Readers Choose in 2025?

Best Sellers Which Foreign Books Did Korean Readers Choose in 2025? 2026.02 "Interest in Korean fiction" is an indispensable phrase when explaining recent publishing trends in Korea. Thanks to the halo effect of Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature win in 2024, Korean novels swept the top spots on the comprehensive bestseller lists last year. The slump in non-fiction books, driven by the commercialization of generative artificial intelligence (AI), also played a significant role. The prevailing view in the industry is that the surge in Korean fiction—and Korean literature at large—is a "butterfly effect" resulting from the contraction of the local non-fiction market, a sector traditionally dominated by renowned foreign authors rather than domestic ones. However, this situation may present a unique opportuni...

VOL.91 / 2026.02

[INFORMATION / TOPIC]

Korean Publishing Market Trends in 2025 and Outlook for 2026

Topic Korean Publishing Market Trends in 2025 and Outlook for 2026 2026.01.05 Trends in 2025: A Year of Digital Transformation and Practical, Stability-Oriented Content In 2025, Korea’s publishing market underwent noticeable shifts in the ways readers discovered, selected, and consumed books, as digital transformation accelerated and social and economic uncertainty deepened. On the surface, the overall market size appeared relatively stable. Beneath that stability, however, structural changes became increasingly clear: the number of new titles grew significantly, while the average print run per title declined. As supply expanded, the actual market reach secured by individual titles continued to narrow. These changes were further shaped by the expansion of generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) and intensified competition from OTT (Over-the-Top) platforms. Together, t...

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[INFORMATION / BEST SELLERS]

Heading into 2026: Comparing the Combined

Best Sellers Heading into 2026: Comparing the Combined Bestseller Lists of Korea’s Three Major Online Bookstoresfor the 2nd week of December, 2025 2026.01.05 There is a saying that time does not simply pass?it accumulates. Even when daily routines feel repetitive or unremarkable, the experiences we encounter continue to pile up, quietly shaping our lives. For those who look back on 2025 with a hint of regret, it offers comfort; for those who have been running without pause, it feels like encouragement. Throughout 2025, the publishing world moved forward through the quiet, persistent labor of those who worked to create each book, building their efforts piece by piece. Looking ahead to 2026 with the hope that this dedication will yield even greater rewards, let’s take a look at the bestseller list for the last month of 2025.Topping the bestsellers in the final month of 2025 was Minimal Korean History, an introductory and condensed guide to t...

VOL.90 / 2026.01

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

2023 Publishing Statistics & 2024 Publishing Market Outlook

Publishing Industry 2023 Trends in the Korean Publishing Market and 2024 Forecast 2024.01.02 2023 Trends: Growth in self-help, comics, and parenting books As the COVID-19 pandemic turned endemic in the spring of 2023, travel books saw a resurgence in popularity. The popularity of anime such as Slam Dunk has led to increased sales of manga, and popular YouTubers have joined the publishing market using manga characters. In addition, books by popular writers for grown-up readers, such as physicist Kim Sang-Wook, have been transformed into children’s educational comics. * K-Book Trends Vol. 42 ? Go to the interview of writer Kim Sang-Wook In addition, despite recording the world’s lowest birth rate, the popularity of books on raising children in Korea has increased. While the market for marriage,...

VOL.66 / 2024.01

[INFORMATION / BEST SELLERS]

Autumn: Democracy Reflected in the Pages

Best Sellers Autumn: Democracy Reflected in the Pages Bestseller Trends in the Three Biggest Online Bookstoresin Korea for the 2nd week of September, 2025 2025.10.02 September 15 is the International Day of Democracy, designated by the United Nations. Coincidentally, Korea’s September book market also saw the spotlight fall on works that reflect a strong desire to safeguard democracy. At No. 1 on the overall bestseller list for the second week of September was About Goodwill by Moon Hyung-Bae, former Justice of the Constitutional Court of Korea. Once a scholarship recipient of the well-known philanthropist Kim Jang-Ha, Moon gained public attention in April when he published a book. In this new essay, published after his retirement, he reflects on the lessons of “Adult Kim Jang-Ha,” who taught that true gratitude should be given back to society rather than to individuals. Meanwhile, author Kim Cho-Yeop’s The Double-Sided Shell entered the list at No. 4 i...

VOL.87 / 2025.10

[INFORMATION / BEST SELLERS]

Summer, Between the Ideal (isang; 理想) and the Abnormal (isang; 異常)

Best Sellers Summer, Between the Ideal (isang; 理想) andthe Abnormal (isang; 異常) Bestseller Trends in the Three Biggest Online Bookstoresin Korea for the 2nd week of July, 2025 2025.08.04 Summer in Korea is a time when weather extremes intersect, with heat waves followed by rainy seasons. This is why summer vacations are a time when people look forward to escaping both the heat and the rain. We all dream of perfect vacation plans and ideal (isang; 理想) summer days, but with the escalating abnormal (isang; 異常) climate events, expecting weather similar to the past may be more of a fantasy than a reality. In between the ideal and the abnormal, we have compiled a list of the top travel books of July, along with some of the overall bestsellers ahead of the summer vacation season.While the overall top 10 bestsellers in July remained largely unchanged from last month, Choi Tae-Sung’s Korean History Exam 2025: Advanced (Levels 1, 2, and 3) Vol. 1 and 2 rose t...

VOL.85 / 2025.08

VOL.94/2026.05

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