K-Book Trends -

Search word : "September", Search result : 107

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

Knowledge Write the Story You Want to Read Self-publishing platforms in Korea: The reasons for growth and the current state 2024.11.04 “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” - Toni Morrison, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 While there is no established academic definition, “self-publishing” refers to authors planning, editing, publishing, and distributing their own manuscripts without working through a publishing company. As opposed to “vanity publishing,” which involves paying an upfront fee to a publisher to produce and distribute a book, it is used almost interchangeably with “independent publishing” in Korea (some researchers and book critics use the two terms separately). The desire to document ...

VOL.76 / 2024.11

[TREND / EXPORT CASE]

New Trends in Korean Literature

Export Case New Trends in Korean Literature 2024.10.07 It’s important to be ahead of the pack in global publishing; to find the new trends and to be future looking in order to be successful. I have always been an explorer, a seeker of the new, while travelling professionally and personally, and that has led me to discover Korean literature more than a decade ago. The first books to break through were literary masterpieces Please Look After Mom (Changbi Publishers) by Shin Kyung-Sook and The Vegetarian (Changbi Publishers) by Han Kang. After the initial introduction of Korean books to global readers who had never heard of them, let alone read them, I introduced mysteries and thrillers which are already super popular in the World English and global markets. So, readers of Steig Larrsen’s mega-bestseller, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, devoured Jeong You-Jeong’s The Good Son (EunHaeng NaMu Publishing). J.M. Lee’s The Investigation (EunHae...

VOL.75 / 2024.10

[TREND / BOOK TRIP]

The Hometown Scenery That Became the Literary Roots of a Modern Boy

Book Trip [A Trip to Literary Museums ⑥] The Hometown Scenery That Becamethe Literary Roots of a Modern Boy Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwondo: Gasan (可山) Lee Hyo-Seok Memorial Hall 2024.10.07 Fall in Pyeongchang begins with the white buckwheat blossoms. The buckwheat fields that cover the vast expanse of Bongpyeong-eup in white create a dreamlike beauty in combination with the blue sky. In his novel When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom, writer Lee Hyo-Seok described this view as “I could hardly breathe in the soft moonlight as if it were sprinkled with salt.” Pyeongchang hosts the “Hyoseok Culture Festival” to spotlight the literary world of Gasan (Lee’s pen name) Lee Hyo-Seok, including When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom in September, when you can stroll through a field of buckwheat flowers as if you were walking into a scene from the novel. It’s a great example of how a writer’s masterpiece can have a profound impact on local culture. Ou...

VOL.75 / 2024.10

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

Korean Publishers’ Efforts to Meet New Readers

Knowledge Korean Publishers’ Efforts to Meet New Readers 2024.08.05 Publishers have been putting the utmost effort into connecting readers, works, and authors. One of the examples was booktalks, where readers meet the author. Booktalks helped publishers expand the horizon of readers’ engagement with works and maintain fanship, but it was not easy to secure new readers. As a large number of booktalks turned contactless after the outbreak of COVID-19, the small influx of new readers fell even more.Meanwhile, as the marketing trend in Korea moved onto pop-up stores, many Generation Z started to take shots, do opening rushes, and leave reviews. This trend has made it a must-do event for companies when launching new products (brands). There were even reviewers who left comments on pop-up stores open in Seongsu-dong (the region in Seoul settled as a hot place among Generation Z as it became the hub of pop-up stores). Where both present and future readers...

VOL.73 / 2024.08

[TREND / BOOK TRIP]

In Search of a Garden Where Our Beautiful Korean Language Breathes

Book Trip [A Trip to Literary Museums ②] In Search of a Garden Where Our BeautifulKorean Language Breathes Introducing Sonagi Village at Hwang Sun-won, Literary Housein Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, and Beyond 2024.06.03 The works of Hwang Sun-Won have a solid presence in Korean literature. The literary world he has built transcends time, genre, and ideology, naturally expressing the most Korean emotions. It was around 1952, when Korea was undergoing the Korean War, when his representative short story Rain Shower (read Sonagi in Korean) was released. However, it is difficult to recognize such a period from the portrayal of the two main characters in the novel. The only clue that connects the story to reality is the place name “Yangpyeong” that appears at the end. The thoughts that germinated in this place became the driving force for creating a literary space, and it led to new attempts to reinterpret the work in various ways.The Sonagi Village in the Hwa...

VOL.71 / 2024.06

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

Today’s Local Bookstores Seen Through Data on Independent Bookstores in Korea

Knowledge Today’s Local Bookstores Seen Through Dataon Independent Bookstores in Korea A service for non-readers: a map of local bookstores 2024.05.07 Independent bookstores, each unique in its own way, are significant in that they create new cultures and book ecosystems. There is a platform that collects data on these independent bookstores and shares their locations, activities, and stories with readers online and offline ? it is “Bookshopmap,” a neighborhood bookstore map, which started in 2015. In this article, focusing on Bookshopmap, we will look at how the service started, how it works, and how it differs from traditional bookstores. We will also take a look at the changing trends of independent bookstores in Korea based on data statistics from the past 8 years, from 2015 to 2023. ...

VOL.70 / 2024.05

[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

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

Korean Libraries’ Various Book-reading Activities and Cooperation Efforts with the Publishing Industry

Publishing Industry Korean Libraries’ Various Book-reading Activitiesand Cooperation Efforts with the Publishing Industry 2023.11.06 Libraries are public service organizations that are easily accessible to anyone in their daily lives when it comes to reading activities. The Korean Library Act also defines a library as a place that contributes to the promotion of reading culture based on library materials. After the Korean government designated 1993 as the “Year of Books,” the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and publishing organizations carried out vigorous campaigns to promote reading among the public. They pushed for the enactment of the “Reading Promotion Act (tentative title)” as a basis for more systematic and continuous promotion. In the process, as discussions progressed with the library community, the Li...

VOL.64 / 2023.11

[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

[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

VOL.92/2026.03

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