K-Book Trends -

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[TREND / TOPIC]

Why K-Books are drawing attention from across the world

Why K-Books are drawing attention from across the world 2020.06.01 Amidst the time when countries are closing gates due to the spread of COVID-19, Korean literature is taking a step closer to overseas readers while drawing attention from the US, Britain, Germany, and Japan. The global interest in Hallyu (Korean Wave) and the Korean culture that once again swept the world with the movie “Parasite” from director Bong Joon-Ho early this year is said to have spread to literature with the outbreak of the pandemic.Corresponding to the phenomenon, diverse genres of Korean literature, including poems, novels, and children’s stories, are winning globally prominent awards, showcasing the potential of Korean literature once again. Poem collection A Drink of Red Mirror (Munji Books) by Kim Hye-Soon which was recently published was nominated for the best-translated book in the US, while the novel A Murderer's Mnemonics (Munhakdongne) by Kim Young-Ha was chosen as the best ...

VOL.23 / 2020.06

[TREND / BOOK TRIP]

Chuncheon

Chuncheon A Sentimental Journey along the Railroad 2020.06.01 The most sentimental city in Korea would be Chuncheon, Gangwondo Province. There are many reasons to visit Chuncheon: college students go to Chuncheon for workshops every spring, young couples come to enjoy the beautiful scenery, and gourmets visit Chuncheon every year to taste the famous spicy stir-fried chicken and makguksu (buckwheat noodles). Alongside the lake and river, all sorts of water sports facilities, bike roads, and rail-bike trails are connected, which makes Chuncheon a perfect place for those that love outdoor activities. Just take ITX-Cheongchun in Seoul and ride for an hour to arrive in Chuncheon, the lake city. Soyang 2nd bridge and Miss Soyang River, both of which are symbols of Chuncheon ⓒChuncheon-si A picture book world unfolded on a little island Namiseom Island located on the way up to Chuncheon is a little leaf-shaped island with a perimeter of 5km....

VOL.23 / 2020.06

[TREND / TOPIC]

E-book Platforms and the Meaning of “Original Content”

E-book Platforms and the Meaning of “Original Content” The value of new methods and strategies 2020.05.04 According to the 2019 National Reading Survey, 52.1% of Korean adults were reading paper books. Adding e-books and audiobooks only pulled up the rate to 55.7%. The rate is falling with every survey. The reason for the fall in adults’ reading rate is a change of pattern in consuming content. People that enjoy other content than books reached 29.1%. Smartphones killed books.Yet, there are still readers. More and more readers are reading books with their mobile devices. Major online bookstores such as Yes 24, Kyobo Bookstore, and Aladdin have more than 10 million members each. Even e-book companies RIDI Books and Millie have millions of subscribers. There are many readers who enjoy reading genre literature through web-novel platforms such as Naver Webnovel, KakaoStory, Munpia, and Joara. In short, the missing number of paper book readers, or even mor...

VOL.22 / 2020.05

[INTERVIEW / KOREAN PUBLISHERS]

Hyeonamsa

Hyeonamsa Laying Out the Foundation for Korean Law 2021.04.05 Publisher Hyeonamsa was founded under the name of “Konguk Gongron” in 1945 when Korea was liberated from the Japanese occupation. Then, the name was changed to today’s Hyeonamsa with the pen name of founder Jo Sang-Won. It has become the bona fide publisher for Korean law, starting with the first statute book Law Book. Today, the publisher publishes general, liberal arts, and children’s books along with law books. Under the motto of “Coexisting life, coexisting books,” Hyeonamsa chooses its staff, writers, and readers as the secret supporters that helped the publisher devote itself to publishing for 76 years. Following is the interview with Hyeonamsa, a company that wants to become a “mature,” adult-like publisher. What is the meaning of the name Hyeonamsa? Hyeonam (玄巖) is actually the pen name of founder Jo Sang-Won. He founded “Konguk Gongron...

VOL.33 / 2021.04

[INFORMATION / BEST SELLERS]

3rd Week, August

3rd Week, August Bestseller Trends in the Four Biggest Online Bookstores in Korea 2020.09.07 In the third week of August 2020, books written by famous figures drew popularity in Korea. For example, What Are You Living For? an essay written by JYP, a popular Korean singer, Reboot by the famous lecturer and Youtuber Kim Mi-Kyung, and The Reason for Living by film critic and celebrity Heo Ji-Woong topped the integrated list of bestsellers. In particular, The Reason for Living is a new essay eagerly written by someone who has gone through a significant struggle in life in 2018 - malignant lymphoma, which is a type of blood cancer - and has gotten a totally new perspective towards life. The writer offers warm consolation to readers who are fighting against their own struggles in life.Some books have become bestsellers on the back of their original TV drama's success. For instance, “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” is a popular drama in Korea featuring the story of a children...

VOL.26 / 2020.09

[INFORMATION / BEST SELLERS]

2nd Week, July

2nd Week, July Bestseller Trends in the Four Biggest Online Bookstores in Korea 2020.08.03 There is one book that ranked first among bestsellers of the four major online bookstores in Korea in the second week of July 2020. It is Reboot, written by a famous instructor Kim Mi-Kyung who is currently running a Youtube channel “Kim Mi-Kyung TV” with 1.1 million subscribers. With the subtitle “How to stand up and reboot again against COVID-19,” the book provides bountiful insight on the life, work, and growth of individuals in the post-COVID-19 era. Even though it has only been a short time since its publication, readers are already sending much love and support through comments, making Reboot the hottest book in the Korean publication market today.It seems that Korean readers are somehow finding answers for their economic struggles in the seemingly ever-persisting post-COVID-19 era through books. A self-development book The Having, which talks about a mindset that brin...

VOL.25 / 2020.08

[TOPIC / TRENDS]

South Korea’s Literary Awards

South Korea’s Literary Awards 2018.07.31 Authors of South Korea usually start their careers by writing short stories. Every January 1st, South Korea’s key newspapers print literary works that have snagged awards, like short novels, poems, reviews and fairy tales. These contests by the papers are called “sinchunmunye”, which would translate into “spring literary contest”. This tradition began in 1925 by DongA Ilbo newspaper and for the next near century, South Korea’s key writers would first meet readers through this method. South Korea’s literary editors read these works at the beginning of the year, assess the literary potential the writers have and start contacting the new authors. The writers usually win around 5 million won per prize and winning an award at these annual competitions is considered a great honor. For many, a long time is spent honing their craft.Prominent literary magazines like Literature and Society, Munhakdongne (Literary Neighborhood), Creat...

VOL.11 / 2018.07

[TOPIC / ISSUE]

2018 Seoul International Book Fair ‘New Definition’

2018 Seoul International Book Fair ‘New Definition’ Expand Your Thinking and World Through Books 2018.07.31 The annual Seoul International Book Fair, now in its 24th year, was held for five days from June 20 to 24 at COEX, Seoul with the theme ‘New Definition’. At the fair’s local exhibitions 234 companies participated, while in the international booths 91 companies from 32 countries including France, the United States, Japan and China took part in the festivities. The guest country of honor for this year’s fair was the Czech Republic. In line with the theme ‘New Definition’, there was a variety of seminars, conferences, special programs, events and exhibits. Just inside the fair venue were shelves of books, unique booths, events and lectures by famous participants that caught your eye. There were many different programs to satiate all kinds of book lovers at the Seoul International Book Fair. This piece delves into this year’s book fair that aime...

VOL.11 / 2018.07

[TREND / BOOK TRIP]

Songpa, Seoul

Songpa, Seoul “How To Love Books” of a Big City 2020.05.04 The 123-storey-high Lotte World Mall, Olympic Stadium where the 88 Seoul Olympics were held, Lotte World and Seokchon Lake, which are always crowded throughout the year. With such places to go and see, the time in Songpa-gu flows fast just like other big cities. Named after the lush pine trees growing in the city, Songpa-gu is now filled with high buildings and big apartment complexes ? there are so many that the city is often called a “Building Forest.” Yet, if you look a little bit deeper inside, there are still places where you can find relaxation in your life. Discover joy among old and worn books Once you exit Jamsillaru station (line 2 of Seoul Subway), you will see a low but long building. It is “Seoul Treasure Den for Books”, a secondhand bookstore built by the Seoul Metropolitan City last March transforming an unused space. ⓒSeoul Treasure Den for Books &...

VOL.22 / 2020.05

[TREND / SPECIAL PROJECT]

Korea’s Flagship Literary Awards for Poems

Korea’s Flagship Literary Awards for Poems “Kim Su-Young Literary Award” and “Sowol Poetry Award” 2020.04.06 Poet Kim Su-Young (1921-1968), Sowol Kim Jung-Sik (1902-1934) Kim Su-Young Literary Award Kim Su-Young, a representative poet in Korea who participated in movements with literature, entered the literary world in 1947 when his poem The Song of Myojeong was published in a literary magazine Art Village (Yesul Burak). His passion for art never faded amidst the gloomy reality during the Japanese occupation. With endless efforts to equalize poems with life, the language used in his poems did not draw a line between poetic and daily expressions for the first time in Korea’s modern poems. He began as a modernist in the beginning criticizing the modern civilization and urban life; Kim Su-Young’s poetic world encountered a drastic change when historical incidents, the fraudulent election on March 15, 1960, and the April 19 Revolutio...

VOL.21 / 2020.04

VOL.93/2026.04

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