VOL.97/2026.08

2nd Week, July 2024

Best seller Trends in the Four Biggest Online Bookstores in Korea

2024.08.05

It’s July, which means the rainy season has begun in Korea. As people spend more time indoors than out due to the heavy rains, books to organize their thoughts, books to read for relaxation, and textbooks to prepare for various exams topped the best seller lists. In terms of genres, the humanities and young adult sectors were dominant, signaling a trend influenced by vacations and school breaks.
Despite all this, the No. 1 best seller was A Very Personal Thought on His Destiny by Rhyu Si-Min, featuring the author’s sharp observations as a political critic. Although it deals with a rather sensitive topic, it offers a deep and wide view of the contexts beyond the status quo, demonstrating the high level of political criticism that has reached its essence. The No. 2 and No. 8 on the best seller list were books for young adults. At No. 2, A Few Words of Encouragement for You, is an essay on life philosophy for young adults featuring stories of teenagers who go through a rough puberty but end up getting stronger on the inside. It has 70 sentences about self-esteem, relationships, dreams, values, and intelligence to help encourage teenagers. At No. 8, Who I Want to Kill 2 is by Lee Kkoch-Nim, a prominent figure in the Korean young adult literature community. The book, featuring “a story about hope that blooms at the end of despair,” has become a hot topic among teenagers for its immersive and fast-paced plot.

* K-Book Trends Vol. 43 ? Go to the interview with writer Lee Kkoch-Nim

Also, as the school vacation season begins, a few exam text books, such as Choi Tae-Sung’s Korean History Exam 2024: Advanced (Level 1, 2, 3) Vol. 1 and 2 and Hackers TOEIC Vocabulary: TOEIC VOCA, made it into the top 10 best sellers. In addition, One Page a Day: A Transcribing Note for Your Vocabulary, a self-help book for office workers to read while relaxing on vacation, came in at No. 3, and Kim Hoon’s new title, Wasted Days, hit the best seller list as soon as it was released, a testament to the author’s prowess. Wasted Days is a collection of 45 essays that range from the experience of walking the line between life and death, to the memories of the tools that elevated the brutality of war to humor, to the youth in history who shone in the midst of turbulence, and to the smells that linger at the bottom of human emotions. It is also a deeply inspirational piece that captures the character of a wordsmith of our time.
Among the top 5 best sellers in the health category for the 2nd week of July, medical specialists stood out. Dr. Park Yong-Woo, a family medicine physician, ranked first with the book Body Revolution. Dr. Park shares his sharp insights and advice on how to change your body to stay young and healthy for a long time. Another book, Habits That Slows Aging, by Dr. Jung Hee-Won, a geriatrician, came in at No. 3, with advice on how to slow down aging in a world with longer life cycles. Other notable titles include Detox Revolution by Dr. Lively and 100 Years for Your Back 2: Treatment, a workout prescription.

* The rank of best sellers below was organized after integrating domestic best sellers in the second week of July from the four biggest online bookstores in Korea ? Kyobo Bookstore, Aladdin, Yes 24, and Interpark.

Top 10 best sellers for the 2nd week of July
1		A Very Personal Thought on His Destiny Author│Rhyu Si-Min Publisher│Think Road Publisher Genre│Politics / Society
2		A Few Words of Encouragement for You Author│Kim Jong-Won Publisher│First Penguin Genre│Young Adult
3		Choi Tae-Sung’s Korean History Exam 2024: Advanced (Level 1, 2, 3) Vol. 1 Author│Choi Tae-Sung Publisher│ETOOS Genre│Exam
3		One Page a Day: A Transcribing Note for Your Vocabulary Author│Yoo Sun-Kyong Publisher│Wisdom House Genre│Self-help
5		Choi Tae-Sung’s Korean History Exam 2024: Advanced (Level 1, 2, 3) Vol. 2 Author│Choi Tae-Sung Publisher│ETOOS Genre│Exam
5		Wasted Days Author│Kim Hoon Publisher│Nanam Publishing House Genre│Poetry / Non-fiction
7		Words of Buddha, the First Translation Loved for 2,500 Years Author│Ryunosuke Koike Publisher│Forest Books Genre│Philosophy
8		Who I Want to Kill 2 Author│Lee Kkoch-Nim Publisher│Woorischool Co. Genre│Young Adult
8		THE MONEY BOOK Author│Toss Publisher│Viva Republica Genre│Business
10		Hackers TOEIC Vocabulary: TOEIC VOCA Author│David Cho Publisher│Hackers Education Group Genre│Foreign Language

 

Top 5 books on health for the 2nd week of July
1		Body Revolution Author│Park Yong-Woo Publisher│Luminous
2		Detox Revolution Author│Doctor Lively Publisher│Woongjin Jisik House
3		Habits That Slows Aging Author│Jung Hee-Won Publisher│Hanbit Life
4		The World’s Most Easily Understood Guide to Muscle Connections Author│Ryo Kimata Publisher│Joongang Books
5		100 Years for Your Back 2: Treatment Author│Jung Seon-Geun Publisher│Untangling