VOL.69/2024.04

2nd Week, September 2023

Best seller Trends in the Four Biggest Online Bookstores in Korea

2023.10.04

It is September in South Korea, when cool winds begin to blow in the morning and evening. With the onset of fall, it is time for those forward-looking to prepare for the coming year. And as proof, Trend Korea, an annual preview of trends for the year ahead, is back again, this time ranking fifth on the overall best seller list. Even though it is still on pre-sale, Trend Korea 2024 has made it to the top of the list and is being enthusiastically welcomed by Korean readers looking forward to the new year. It will be a great way to prepare for what keywords will emerge in the coming year in the midst of a turbulent market. Another business book, The Secret 1%, came in 8th place. Readers have been raving about the investment insights shared by the writer, Mer, one of Korea’s top capital market analysts. This shows that the business genre continues to be a mainstream trend in the Korean publishing market.
In terms of non-fiction, books with different characteristics made it to the best sellers’ list. For example, Cho Kuk’s Dike’s Tears, his first essay, is a heartfelt account of his feelings about law and justice after returning to ordinary civilian life after being a law professor and minister of justice. Another book, the photo essay Fu Bao, Hope You are Happy Every Day, is about the life of Fu Bao, the panda whose cuteness makes everyone smile. A worldwide sensation, the book took fifth place despite being on pre-sale. Readers will find their hearts filled with joy and happiness as they peek into Fu Bao’s happy life. Also, don’t miss All Great Things Come With Fear, an uplifting and encouraging essay by drawing YouTuber Lee Yeon. With empathetic writing and memorable illustrations, the book warmly encourages readers that “the things you are afraid to do are actually amazing, that creating is not useless even though it seems useless, and that it can make people happy.”
Meanwhile, the top five humanities books included A Man of Liberal Arts Studies Science by Rhyu Si-Min, a steady bestselling author in the field, at third place. The book asks some rather profound questions such as “What am I?”, “Why do I exist?”, “And where am I going?” but by following the fascinating story of the interplay between science and the humanities, science will no longer be so hard. Another book, My Daughter was Quietly Breaking Down, is about a physician mother’s experience as a family member of a mentally ill person. Not only does it offer comfort and hope to readers who may be struggling in the same situation, but it also offers practical advice on how to handle situations, such as how to respond to problems and how to choose a hospital, making it a milestone book for mentally ill people and their families.

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

Top 10 best sellers for the 2nd week of September
1		The City and Its Uncertain Walls Author│Haruki Murakami Publisher│Munhakdongne Genre│Fiction
2		Be Your Future Self Now Author│Benjamin Hardy Publisher│Sangsang Square Genre│Self-help
3		Dike’s Tears Author│Cho Kuk Publisher│Dasan Books Genre│Non-fiction
4		Sayno Love Author│Sayno Publisher│Day One Genre│Self-help
5		Trend Korea 2024 Author│Kim Nando and others Publisher│Mirae Books Genre│Business
5		Fu Bao, Hope You are Happy Every Day Author│Everland Zoo Publisher│Sigongsa Junior Genre│Non-fiction
7		Common Siblings 14 Author│Hunhan Nammae Publisher│Mirae N (I-Seum) Genre│Children’s Comics
8		The Secret 1% Author│Mer Publisher│Tornado Genre│Business
9		Elon Musk Author│Walter Isaacson Publisher│Book 21 Genre│Business
10		All Great Things Come With Fear Author│Lee Yeon Publisher│Hanbit Life Genre│Non-fiction

 

Top 5 humanities books for the 2nd week of September
1		Pseudowork Author│Dennis Nørmark, Anders Fogh Jensen Publisher│Jaeum & Moeum Publishing
2		Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention Author│Johann Hari Publisher│Across
3		A Man of Liberal Arts Studies Science Author│Rhyu Si-Min Publisher│Dolbegae
4		My Daughter was Quietly Breaking Down Author│Kim Hyun-Ah Publisher│Changbi
4		Petite Philosophie de la Mer Author│Laurence Devillairs Publisher│FIKA
4		Wisdom of Life Author│Arthur Schopenhauer Publisher│Forest Books