VOL.69/2024.04

3rd Week, July 2023

Best seller Trends in the Four Biggest Online Bookstores in Korea

2023.08.07

In July, books about famous Koreans becoming popular across the world became best sellers. For example, the book Beyond the Story, ranked 3rd on the best sellers list, was published to mark the 10th year since the debut of BTS, a famous K-pop idol group worldwide. It features the group’s activities and behind stories with in-depth reports and interviews. Also, the book National Star Lim Young-Woong and the Historical Syndrome analyzes singer Lim Young-Woong, who became a “national star” after winning in a trot (a genre of Korean music, inspired by the country’s folk songs) audition program. Writer Ha Jae-Keun - a literary critic and his fan – investigates the factors behind Lim’s popularity in an entertaining way. Meanwhile, a book about a popular “animal” could be seen among the best sellers. For example, Baby Panda Pubao is a photo essay that records the life of Panda Pubao, who became famous on Social Media recently for his cuteness. Why not have some heart-healing time by reading the adorable growing-up diary of Pubao, written by keeper Jung Cheol-Won, who is referred to as the “grandpa panda,” as he took care of him?
In the history genre, The Minimum Korean History, written by popular history lecturer Choi Tae-Sung ranked first. The book, ranked 6th on the integrated list of best sellers, helps readers understand the essence of Korean history in an easy and fun way. Also, written by Dr. Yu Hong-June, the book You See as Much as You Know, which was published to mark the 30th year of the book My Exploration of Cultural Heritage (Changbi)’s publication, ranked 2nd in the history genre. It is a compilation of 14 pieces that best represent the beauty of Korean culture from the big My Exploration of Cultural Heritage series. It is a travel guide for and an introduction to Korean cultural heritage. Also, the book The History of Crisis provides an easy explanation of the modern history of the world economy, including the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, which was one of the most formidable economic incidents in Korea, and the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank in 2023, through illustrations, comics, essays, and news articles from the past. Follow the flow of the story, and you will be able to realize that economic history is nothing like rocket science.

* K-Book Trends Vol. 53 – Go to the article about Dr. Yu Hong-June

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

Top 10 best sellers for the 3rd week of July
1		Sayno Love Author│Sayno Publisher│Day One Genre│Self-help
2		A Man of Liberal Arts Studies Science Author│Rhyu Si-Min Publisher│Dolbegae Genre│Humanities
3		BEYOND THE STORY Author│Kang Myung-Seok, BTS Publisher│BIGHIT MUSIC Genre│Art
4		Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention Author│Johann Hari Publisher│Across Genre│Humanities
5		La Prophétie des Abeilles 1 Author│Bernard Werber Publisher│The Open Books Co. Genre│Fiction
6		The Minimum Korean History Author│Choi Tae-Sung Publisher│Front Page Genre│History
7		Counter Your Life (extended edition) Author│Jachung Publisher│Woongjin Jisik House Genre│Self-help
8		Studio Ghibli Architecture: Art Catalogue (relaunched) Author│Studio Ghibli Publisher│Haksan Publishing Genre│Comics
8		Baby Panda Pubao Author│Everland Zoo Publisher│Sigong Junior Genre│Non-fiction
10		National Star Lim Young-Woong and the Historical Syndrome Author│Ha Jae-Keun Publisher│Samho ETM Genre│Art

 

Top 5 history books for the 3rd week of July
1		The Minimum Korean History Author│Choi Tae-Sung Publisher│Front Page
2		You See as Much as You Know Author│Yu Hong-June Publisher│Changbi
3		The History of Crisis Author│Written by Oh Kun-Young, illustarted by Ahn Byung-Hyun Publisher│Page 2 Books
4		Gun, Germs, and Steel Author│Jared Diamond Publisher│Gimmyoung Publishing
5		World History Read Backwards Author│Rhyu Si-Min Publisher│Dolbegae