VOL.96/2026.07

Best Sellers

 

The Beginning of Summer:
June's Integrated Bestseller List

 

 

2026.07

 

 

Since the March issue, this column has analyzed the bestseller lists of four major bookstore franchises in South Korea: Kyobo Book Centre, Youngpoong Bookstore, Jongno Books, and Arc N Book. While previous analyses focused strictly on brick-and-mortar sales, the charts of online bookstores, which now represent a major pillar of book distribution, are arguably just as important as their offline counterparts. Because all four of these franchises operate online storefronts alongside their physical locations, the upcoming features from the July through October issues will examine comprehensive charts that combine both online and offline data. To kick off this series, we look at the integrated bestseller chart compiled by Kyobo Book Centre, the largest and most influential of the four franchises.

 

During the second week of June, the top spot on Kyobo's chart went to A Knowledge Briefing for Elegant Conversation by Kim Jin, a journalist and anchor for the comprehensive cable network Channel A. This reflects a growing desire among contemporary readers, who have become increasingly engaged in social phenomena and politics, to better understand current issues. A defining characteristic of the Kyobo chart is the strong performance of fiction. Along with Project Hail Mary in second place, a total of five novels made the top ten, including Siddhartha, I Said Goodbye, Grapefruit Apricot Club, and Contradictions, meaning fiction accounted for half of the list. Beyond these titles, personal development books such as Inner Excellence and Kim Mi-kyung's Plus Human secured stable spots on the list, finding success here despite failing to reach the bestseller charts at other franchises.

 

 

 

 

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Editor. Jeong Haneul (The Contents Factory Co., Ltd. Researcher)

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