K-Book Trends -

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[TREND / SPECIAL PROJECT]

Special Project [Award-winning Korean Books ①] Literary Awards: A Message of the Times Major Korean literary award-winning books in 2024 2024.11.04 Writer Han Kang, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2024 Where does the authority of the Nobel Prize in Literature derive from? Is it the huge prize of 1.3 billion won, or the long history of 124 years? Or is it the exceptional life stories of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite? Well, it’s probably a combination of all of these elements, but more than that, it’s the message that holds the secret to its long-standing authority. The Nobel Prize in Literature has always pointed out exactly what we, as a species, need to think about right now, and where we should be headed together. Each year, hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, of people around the world share the same curiosity when the Prize is announced. They ask themsel...

VOL.76 / 2024.11

[TREND / BOOK TRIP]

Where Poetry and History Meet

Book Trip [A Trip to Literary Museums ⑦] Where Poetry and History Meet Exploring the Kim Su-Young Museum and Cultural Legacy in Dobong-gu, Seoul 2024.11.04 A place that’s just ordinary for some can be a magnificent destination for others, inspiring memories and recharging the soul. Seoul, the capital of Korea, is a prime example of this duality. With the growing popularity of K-culture in various aspects, more travelers are visiting Seoul; however, if you make a trip slightly outside the center of Seoul to Dobong-gu, you will find a different Seoul with a more tranquil atmosphere. Surrounded by Bukhansan Mountain, Dobong-gu is a district where you can take a walk around the trail or hike up the mountain. There are also many areas where you can look down the mountain, get a glimpse of the cultural powerhouse that is Korea, and be touched and impressed. If you walk down the narrow alleyways of Dobong-gu, which add to the curiosity and fun of discovering hid...

VOL.76 / 2024.11

[INFORMATION / BEST SELLERS]

August Bestsellers to Cool Off the Sweltering Summer

Best Sellers August Bestsellers to Cool Off the Sweltering Summer 2026.09 In this September issue, we examine the bestseller rankings from Jongno Books, South Korea's third-largest bookstore chain. While Jongno Books maintains various sub-charts, it does not offer a combined ranking for both online and offline sales. Therefore, unlike our previous reports, this month's analysis relies exclusively on online sales data. In the second week of August, the young adult science fiction novel Big Home claimed the top spot on the official Jongno Books Naver Store. Notably, Big Home did not appear on the August bestseller lists of any other major bookstore. Furthermore, it stood as the sole work of fiction to rank within Jongno Books' top 10. The bookstore's August rankings were predom...

VOL.98 / 2026.09

[INFORMATION / K-BOOK MAP]

Buckwheat Blossom Season: Lee Hyo-seok Memorial Hall in Bongpyeong

K-Book Map Buckwheat Blossom Season: Lee Hyo-seok Memorial Hall in Bongpyeong 2026.09 September in Bongpyeong and the Lee Hyo-seok Memorial Hall In September, literature comes to life as a vivid landscape in Bongpyeong. Located in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do, Bongpyeong is the setting for Lee Hyo-seok's short story When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom and preserves one of the most lyrical scenes in modern Korean literature. The buckwheat fields, moonlit paths, Bongpyeong Traditional Market, and water mill from the story still leave a deep impression on many readers. Especially in September, when the buckwheat flowers bloom, Bongpyeong enters a season that feels just like watching a novel unfold right before your eyes. Lee Hyo-seok Memorial...

VOL.98 / 2026.09

[INFORMATION / INFO]

2026 Frankfurt Book Fair

Info 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair 2026.09 K-Books are heading to Frankfurt to connect with the global publishing market.At the fair, 15 Korean publishers and 103 consignment titles from 44 publishers will meet overseas publishers, agencies, IP companies, and other buyers for one-to-one export consultations. A networking reception will also bring together publishing professionals from Korea and abroad to share market insights and publishing trends, while building new connections for the global expansion of K-Books. DATE: October 7–11, 2026 | PLACE: Messegelände, Frankfurt am Main, Germany Follow K-Book Trends for more news on Korean publishing and its connections around the world. ...

VOL.98 / 2026.09

[INFORMATION / AGENCY LIST]

Agency list

Agency List Agency List 2026.09 Abba Communication Ltd. Launched as a translation and interpretation agency in 204, Abba Communication (Abba here after) now also acts as a copyright agency. Abba supports young Korean publishers who are aspiring to build experiences in moving on to the international market, providing consultation on the way until they become global. Abba’s special forte is its excellent professional team with expertise in re-writing and/or editing synopses and introductions into texts both competitive and persuasive. Other services Abba provides include translating original materials and creating promotional texts. Focused Subjects LiberalArts : Biography, Management, Negotiation Contacts • Kim jungsukE-mail : jskim@abbacomm.co.kr / Phone : +82-2-707-2103 / Regions : Asia, UK, USA • Han-gyul GoE-mail : a...

VOL.98 / 2026.09

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

Write the Story You Want to Read

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 / 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

[INFORMATION / NEW BOOKS]

Hands Picking Strawberries, Faces Erased

New Books Hands Picking Strawberries, Faces Erased 2026.08 Kim Soom, Strawberry Theory, Minumsa, 2026. Novelist Kim Soom is an author who quietly listens to and observes the lives of the socially vulnerable, such as Comfort Women survivors and visually impaired individuals, expressing their stories in her own unique literary style. Strawberry Theory is a work that depicts the lives of workers in a strawberry field through the eyes of "Hshapyae," a female migrant worker who moved to Korea from Myanmar. In Hshapyae's homeland of Myanmar, a tragedy of fratricidal war unfolds due to civil conflict, while the aftermath of earthquakes leaves her family living on the streets. The money Hshapya...

VOL.97 / 2026.08

[INFORMATION / BEST SELLERS]

Beat the Heat with Books: July's Bestsellers

Best Sellers Beat the Heat with Books:July's Bestsellers 2026.08 In this August issue, we look at the overall ranking charts of Youngpoong Bookstore, the second-largest brick-and-mortar bookstore chain in Korea. Although Youngpoong Bookstore does not stand out as significantly online, its strength lies in services connected to its solid offline network. Examining Youngpoong Bookstore's bestsellers provides valuable insights into current Korean reading trends. The title claiming the top spot at Youngpoong Bookstore in the first week of July is Contradictions, a steady seller that has enjoyed continuous love throughout 2026. Contradictions has maintained a steady position on the charts this year, though its specific ranking fluctuates across different bookseller lists. A key characteristic of Youngpoong Bookstore's chart is that fiction and children's literature account for the vast major...

VOL.97 / 2026.08

VOL.98/2026.09

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