K-Book Trends -

Search word : "Romance", Search result : 120

[TREND / TOPIC]

How New Writers Are Discovered in Korea: Shinchunmunye, Literary Awards, and Newly Emerging Pathways

Topic How New Writers Are Discovered in Korea:Shinchunmunye, Literary Awards, and Newly Emerging Pathways 2025.03.10 At the award ceremony of shinchunmunye (annual spring literary contest), one of Korea’s representative systems for recognizing new writers, there is always a “congratulatory speech” delivered by the judges (mostly novelists, sometimes literary critics) to the winners. As a former literary reporter for a newspaper and then head of the Department of Culture, I have observed that every year, no matter who the judges are, there is always a certain message to the winners. Although you never can tell the future, I’m sure the same will also be true for next year’s shinchunmunye. The specific words vary by judge, but if I were to make it up, it would go something like this (which, of course, doesn’t even come close to the beautiful and moving words of the judges). “Congratulations, you are now a writer. You mu...

VOL.80 / 2025.03

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

Korean Publishing Market’s Trends in 2024 and Outlook for 2025

Knowledge Korean Publishing Market’s Trends in 2024 and Outlook for 2025 2024.12.02 Trends in 2024: Questioning life, fandoms, and Nobel Prize in Literature Philosophy and psychology books have dominated the Korean publishing market, with Reading Schopenhauer at Forty (Uknowbooks) topping the overall bestseller list through August. Also, 11 of the 30 bestselling fiction titles in the first half of the year were “rebound” titles, meaning they were published more than 10 years ago. In addition, the nonfiction category returned to growth after 4 years of decline, and the cases of books becoming bestsellers after being recommended by celebrities increased.Reading Schopenhauer at Forty has continued to grow in popularity this year after being featured on a TV entertainment series last year. The autho...

VOL.77 / 2024.12

[TREND / TOPIC]

What Comes After Today’s Korean-Style Healing Novels?

Topic What Comes After Today’s Korean-Style Healing Novels? 2024.10.07 “While the so-called ‘Korean style healing novels’ are selling well these days, trends always change. This craze will be replaced with a new trend sooner or later.” Barbara J. Zitwer, a literary agent working across English-speaking countries, said so in a recent interview. Zitwer is an American who has been exporting Korean literature overseas for about 20 years and is often referred to as a “Korean literature ambassador.” She explains that the phenomenon of Korean-style healing novels being so popular not only in Korea, but also abroad, is something that may change at any time soon. “At first, everyone read pure literature,” she said, “and then the trend shifted to healing novels.” While it may seem that the popularity of Korean literature across all genres has grown on the surface, Zitwer says that international readers switched genres when they got tired of...

VOL.75 / 2024.10

[TREND / EXPORT CASE]

Factors Behind the Success of Korean Webtoons and Webnovels in the Global Marketplace

Export Case Factors Behind the Success of Korean Webtoons and Webnovelsin the Global Marketplace Based on the Southeast Asian market, including Thailand 2024.08.05 Korean webtoons and webnovels are making waves in the global content market. In particular, they are drawing global attention with great success in Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand.The scalability of secondary use of IP is the most notable factor these days. Many webnovels and webtoons are being adapted into various media, such as dramas, movies, and games, providing publishers and media companies with additional opportunities for monetization. This, coupled with the influence of the Korean Wave, is creating a synergistic effect. The global popularity of K-Pop and Korean dramas has increased worldwide interest in Korean culture, and this has naturally led to a greater interest in Korean webnovels and webtoons. As you can see in the image below, this is clearly evident in the statistics...

VOL.73 / 2024.08

[TREND / BOOK TRIP]

The World Grows in the Wait

Book Trip [Into the Book ⑨] The World Grows in the Wait Seoul Station and Palaces: Walking Tour of Seoul’s Traditional Landmarks 2024.04.01 The Seoul Kid There are a lot of people waiting for something in the (Seoul Station) square.The homeless uncles, lady ‘Guichani,’ people from churches,and even the officers from the police district are waiting for something. The essence of waiting is to attune yourself to the other person’s time. Waiting for the person’s arrival, the heart, or happiness is all centered on the other person. Park Young-Ran’s novel, The Seoul Kid (Woorischool), captures how two brothers grow through their waiting for Iron Man through the eyes of a boy. Two brothers, aged 10 and 18, await the “Iron Man” who left them behind. When the older brother gets tired of waiting and sets out to find him himself, the younger b...

VOL.69 / 2024.04

[INFORMATION / NEW BOOKS]

What If You Encountered Your Own Clone One Day?

New Books What If You Encountered Your Own Clone One Day? 2026.05 Can Hate Be Replicated?, Yoon, Hye-seong, 2026. Yoon, Hye-seong’s debut novel, Can Hate Be Replicated?, has been released as part of the "Short Series" by Safe House (Anjeongaok), a publisher specializing in genre fiction. Safe House is a production studio that creates and distributes stories for "fandoms" of genres such as SF, fantasy, mystery, horror, and romance. Author Yoon previously co-wrote the script for the K-drama 〈The Dream Life of Mr. Kim〉. While that drama offered a realistic and satirical portrayal of the lives of Korean office workers, Can Hate Be Replicated? explores a deeply human story of alienation, conflict, and the eventual downfall of a couple facing extreme suffering. The novel is categorized as a "Gyeong-jangpyeon," a format that can be described as a novella—a medi...

VOL.94 / 2026.05

[INFORMATION / BEST SELLERS]

New Spring, Books Worth Your Attention

Best Sellers New Spring, Books Worth Your Attention 2026.03 As we approach the spring of 2026, the bestseller charts for the second week of February once again demonstrated the enduring power of fiction, with novels claiming six of the top ten spots. For our 2026 feature, we move beyond the digital sphere to focus on brick-and-mortar bookstores, where readers can personally browse the shelves, feel the texture of the printed type, and choose their books through a physical encounter. In South Korea, major franchises occupy the majority of the physical bookstore market. Currently, four main franchises—Kyobo Book Centre, Youngpoong Bookstore, Jongno Books, and Arc N Book—are in competition. We intend to examine the top ten books across these locations, starting with Kyobo Book Centre, which holds the largest number of branches, followed by Y...

VOL.92 / 2026.03

[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

[INFORMATION / BEST SELLERS]

Moving Into the Final Stretch of 2025

Best Sellers Moving Into the Final Stretch of 2025 Bestseller Trends in the Three Biggest Online Bookstoresin Korea for the 2nd week of November, 2025 2025.12.01 As November set in, temperatures began to drop abruptly, and daily swings became sharper. However, it isn’t the weather alone that signals winter’s approach. Bookstores began displaying Christmas ornaments and calendars for 2026, with next year’s planners quietly reminding readers that the end of 2025 is just around the corner. Around this time of year, bookstores always take on a distinctly wintery, year-end atmosphere.This shift was equally evident in the bestseller lists. Literature, which had long dominated the rankings, has retreated, while books forecasting trends for 2026 - already strong in October - continue to gain momentum. Riding the unusual boom in the Korean stock market, investment titles such as PS4’s Meta-Cognition Investing Method and Trend Following with Large-Caps also climb...

VOL.89 / 2025.12

[INFORMATION / BEST SELLERS]

Greeting Autumn After a Long Chuseok Holiday

Best Sellers Greeting Autumn After a Long Chuseok Holiday Bestseller Trends in the Three Biggest Online Bookstoresin Korea for the 2nd week of October, 2025 2025.11.03 In early October, Korea observed Chuseok, one of its two major traditional holidays alongside Seollal (Lunar New Year). This year’s Chuseok was unusually long, as National Foundation Day and Hangeul Day followed one after another, giving people almost ten days off. The lingering summer heat extended into early October, but after days of rain during the Chuseok period, cooler air finally arrived, marking the true beginning of autumn. With long rest and steady rain, readers naturally turned their attention to books - befitting the season often called “the season of reading.”The bestseller list for the second week of October reflected the approaching year’s end. Trend Korea 2026 took the No. 1 spot, followed by Money Trend 2026 at No. 4. As the year closes, readers once again...

VOL.88 / 2025.11

VOL.94/2026.05

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