K-Book Trends - South Korean bestsellers in August

South Korean bestsellers in August

Bestsellers at South Korea's biggest online bookstores, YES24 and Aladin

2019.09.09

As of the third week of August 2019, readers' interest in bilateral relations between South Korea and Japan peaked, largely attributed to a diplomatic rift between the two countries. As a result, Anti-Japan Tribalism rose to become the best-selling book at YES24 and second best-selling book at Aladin last month. Essay collection Why Travel ticked down to third and fourth place in the bestseller lists respectively, but it showed sustained popularity. Other genres that made the bestseller lists last month included novels, essay collections, comic books for children and exam preparation books.
Among August bestsellers was a book that was published almost a year ago. Im Hong-taek's 90's Kids Are Coming was released in November last year and despite it not being a new book, it rapidly rose to the higher rungs of the bestseller lists. This was thanks to South Korean President Moon Jae-in handing out copies of the book to workers at his presidential Blue House and the label 'recommended by the president' ended up fueling sales.
When comparing bestsellers between the two bookstores, Jo Jung-rae's latest novel The Question of a Thousand Years 1, Choi Seung-pil's Reading Strategy for Studying and the latest craze among young children Genius Butt Detective 8 showed steady popularity at YES 24. The three books stood at 6th, 7th and 8th place at the online bookstore. At Aladin, Mo Dao Zu Shi 2, Only Han-a on Earth and Laws of Love in the Big City made it to 3rd, 9th and 10th places respectively, reflecting readers' continued preference for novels.

* The following lists were provided from the official websites of YES24 and Aladin based on data from the third week of August.

YES24
1		*Anti-Japan Tribalism* Author \| Lee Young-hoon Publisher \| Miraesa Genre \| Politics
2		*Seol Min-seok's Great Adventure Into Korean History 11* Author \| Storybox, Seol Min-seok Publisher \| Human Genre \| Children
3		Why Travel (Vacance Edition) Author \| Kim Young-ha Publisher \| Munhakdongne Genre \| Essay
4		*90's Kids Are Coming* Author \| Im Hong-taek Publisher \| Whale Book Genre \| Economics/Management
5		*European City Travels 1* Author \| Rhyu Si-min Publisher \| Saenggakeuigil Genre \| Liberal Arts
6		*The Question of a Thousand Years 1* Author \| Jo Jung-rae Publisher \| Hainaim Genre \| Novel
7		*Reading Strategy for Studying* Author \| Choi Seung-pil Publisher \| Chaek Guru Genre \| Education
8		*Genius Butt Detective 8* Author \| Troll Publisher \| Mirae&Iseum Genre \| Picture Book
9		*Seol Min-seok's Romance of the Three Kingdoms 1* Author \| Seol Min-seok Publisher \| Segyesa Genre \| Liberal Arts
10		*Atomic Habits* Author \| James Clear Publisher \| Business Books Genre \| Self-development

Aladin
1		*2020 Everything in One Notebook* Author \| Moon Dong-gyun Publisher \| Korean History is Moon Dong-gyun Genre \| Education
2		*Anti-Japan Tribalism* Author \| Lee Young-hoon Publisher \| Miraesa Genre \| Politics
3		*Mo Dao Zu Shi 2* Author \| Mo Xiang Tong Xiu Publisher \| B-Lab Genre \| Novel
4		Why Travel (Vacance Edition) Author \| Kim Young-ha Publisher \| Munhakdongne Genre \| Essay
5		*90's Kids Are Coming* Author \| Im Hong-taek Publisher \| Whale Book Genre \| Economics/Management
6		*Zombie High School Comics 14* Author \| Yoo Dae-young Publisher \| Gametoon Genre \| Comics
7		*Seol Min-seok's Great Adventure Into Korean History 11* Author \| Storybox, Seol Min-seok Publisher \| iHuman Genre \| Children
8		Parasite (Screenplay Edition) Author \| Bong Joon-ho Publisher \| Plain Genre \| Art
9		*Only Han-a on Earth* Author \| Jung Se-rang Publisher \| Nanda Genre \| Novel
10		*Laws of Love in the Big City* Author \| Park Sang-young Publisher \| Changbi Genre \| Novel