VOL.97/2026.08

The Onset of the Rainy Season, Marking the Arrival of Summer

Best seller Trends in the Three Biggest Online Bookstores
in Korea for the 2nd week of June, 2025

2025.07.07

June in Korea is the beginning of summer, with the heat and rainy season just around the corner. After a hot May filled with issues surrounding the presidential election, the days have returned to their familiar routine, like an old book. The books that made it onto the best seller list in the second week of June stand out with their sharpness that pierces through that familiarity. This is especially the case with Sung Hye-Na’s Honmono. The author’s new collection of short stories, with its intense and chilling narrative, has been widely loved since its publication. Meanwhile, Kim Keum-Hee’s My First Summer, Wanju, introduced in the previous issue’s “New Books” section, comforts readers with its contrasting warmth and affability. Also drawing attention is Kim Ae-Ran’s They Said They’re Doing Good, which made the best seller list while still in pre-order. This is another example of the author’s popularity, as seen in her previous works such as Run, Daddy, Run (Changbi Publishers) and My Brilliant Life (Changbi Publishers).

* K-Book Trends Vol. 83 ? Go to the article about My First Summer, Wanju

The growing interest in body shaping ahead of summer vacation was clearly reflected in the top five best-selling titles in the cookbook category. For example, Yuziman’s Diet Recipes by Yuziman, a YouTuber with 800,000 subscribers and 210 million cumulative views, and Dr. Park Yong-Woo’s Recipes for Switch-On Diet, co-authored by a renowned medical doctor and health columnist, have both gained significant popularity in the category. Meanwhile, there was also a positive trend that seemed to reflect the encouraging government statistics released earlier this year, which showed a rebound in the birth rate for the first time in nine years. In the baby food category, Jung Joo-Hee’s Bbuni Topping Baby Food, which has consistently been popular, and Bbibbo Bbibbo Simple & Healthy Baby Food Recipes, by pediatrician Ha Jung-Hoon, famous for Bbibbo bbibbo Symptom-Specific Tips for Sick Babies (Yuni Chaekbang), have also been gaining attention. While it is still too early to speak of significant change, one cannot help but feel that new hope is beginning to sprout amidst the growing interest and preparation of the parent generation.

* The rank of best sellers below was organized after integrating domestic best sellers in the second week of June from the three biggest online bookstores in Korea ? Kyobo Book Centre, Aladin, and Yes 24.

Top 10 best sellers for the 2nd week of June
1		Honmono Author│Sung Hae-Na Publisher│Changbi Publishers Genre│Fiction
2		My First Summer, Wanju Author│Kim Keum-Hee Publisher│MUZE Genre│Fiction
3		The Reading of Youth (Special Enlarged Edition) Author│Rhyu Si-Min Publisher│Woongjin Jisik House Genre│Humanities
4		A Life, Once Author│Kim Young-Ha Publisher│Bokbokseoga Publishing Genre│Non-fiction
5		Let’s Meet In Our Paradise Author│Ha Tae-Wan Publisher│Book Romance Genre│Non-fiction
5		They Said They’re Doing Good Author│Kim Ae-Ran Publisher│Munhakdongne Publishing Genre│Fiction
7		Yuziman’s Diet Recipes Author│Yuziman Publisher│Gilbut Inc. Genre│Cooking
8		Human Acts Author│Han Kang Publisher│Changbi Publishers Genre│Fiction
9		Lee Jae-Myung: Autobiography Author│Lee Jae-Myung, Storytelling Content Research Institute Publisher│Asia Publishers Genre│Non-fiction
9		Soseol Boda: Summer 2025 Author│Kim Ji-Yeon, Lee Seo-Ah, Hahm Yoon-Yi Publisher│Moonji Publishing Genre│Fiction

 

Top 5 cook books for the 2nd week of June
1		Yuziman’s Diet Recipes Author│Yuziman Publisher│Gilbut Inc.
2		Dr. Park Yong-Woo’s Recipes for Switch-On Diet Author│Park Yong-Woo, Kim Young-Ah Publisher│Luminous Books
3		Bbuni Topping Baby Food Author│Jung Ju-Hee Publisher│Saseowon
4		Bbibbo Bbibbo Simple & Healthy Baby Food Recipes Author│Ha Jung-Hoon Publisher│Yuni Chaekbang
5		Kim Hye-Kyung’s Recipes for Every Day Meals Author│Kim Hye-Kyung Publisher│Gimm-Young Publishers