VOL.74/2024.09

 

Korean Readers’ Picks in the First Half of 2024

 

2024.09.02

 

According to the “2023 National Reading Survey” announced by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in Korea, the overall reading rate was observed to be 43.0%, the lowest since the survey was initiated in 1994. This means that 6 out of 10 adults don’t even read a single e-book or audiobook, let alone a paper book. The shrinking of the reading population, which forms the foundation for the publishing market, and the aging population have been issues in Korea for quite a long time. However, it was indeed a shocking figure for the publishing industry as it expected to see a steady increase in the reading population since it enjoyed a boom during the pandemic compared to other industries.
In the first half of the year, the reduction in newly published titles, driven by a contracting publishing market, alongside the enduring popularity of long-time bestsellers, played a significant role in the industry. The primary book-buying demographic, traditionally women in their 40s and 50s, is expanding. However, it is readers in their 20s who are truly revitalizing the publishing industry. They are making waves as they rediscover the value of reading, appreciating its rarity in today's digital age.
These younger readers are not only influenced by books recommended by influencers and media but are also exploring a wide range of genres, including humanities, philosophy, and poetry. Their active engagement—reading, sharing on social media, and creating content—has gradually energized the bookselling market. In an era where life advice is often scarce, hearing the wisdom of those who have faced challenges is particularly heartening. Here’s a look at some of the books that resonated with readers in the first half of the year.

 

The power of timeless content

 

The first half of the year was a time when older books were more popular than new bestsellers, most notably in fiction. Plus, the number of fiction titles published was down significantly (-13.2%) compared to the first half of last year, indicating a greater reliance on more established sellers. Of the top 30 fiction bestsellers in the first half of the year, 11 were 10 or more years old. Books like The Three-Body Problem (published in 2013) and Dune (published in 1992) suddenly emerged as bestsellers thanks to movie adaptations and OTT original series. While the public’s attention tends to shift as soon as other popular content comes along, the market for content-based IP businesses grows every year, and original content garners explosive interest.

 

 

Meanwhile, Korean fiction has become a hot topic not because of media issues, but because of books that have become so popular that even authors and publishers are baffled as to why. The power of their content has allowed them to stand the test of time and become more popular than when they were published. For example, Yang Gui-Ja’s Contradictions (Write Publishing), which was already on the bestseller list when it was published in 1998 and then disappeared from the rankings for a while, reached the number one spot in the fiction category. Other top Korean fiction titles include Choi Jin-Young’s Gu’s Proof (EunHaeng NaMu Publishing), which was published in 2015, Gu Byeong-Mo’s The Old Woman With the Knife (Wisdom House), and Han Kang’s The Vegetarian (Changbi Publishing). With the exception of The Vegetarian, which won the Man Booker Prize and has been consistently on the charts, the books grew in popularity through word of mouth and recommendations from readers, spreading across all age groups.

 

 

This is largely driven by readers in their 20s. The most popular book in the first half of this year among Korean readers in their 20s was Contradictions. Gu’s Proof, which didn’t make the top 10 overall bestseller list, was the 5th best-selling book for readers in their 20s.
Contradictions portrays the reality of young people at the crossroads of major life changes. The fundamental concerns of life have remained the same for those in their 20s, whether 26 years ago when the book was first published or for today’s Generation Z, the digital natives. What has changed is the social environment—from typing and storing documents to AI and coding. Yet, beyond contemporary empathy, the pain of making choices remains timeless. The contradiction of appearing enviable to others while enduring unbearable personal struggles, which can lead to catastrophe, was true then and is true now. This paradox is further amplified in our current era by the emptiness created by social media.
Gu’s Proof is a grotesque tale of a life lived with fierce determination in the face of a cruel reality, supported by the protagonist’s unwavering love and companionship. What began as an interest sparked by a YouTube music playlist evolved into a book. Readers in their 20s have demonstrated through this story that no life is insignificant.

 

 

Reading becomes “hip” for being rare

 

As such, as readers in their 20s bring energy to bookstores, the perception that it’s cool to be seen reading popped up - even coining the term “Text-Hip.” They don’t just read quietly and alone. They share selfies of themselves reading on Social Media and recommend good books. They share their love for books by quoting good lines. It’s not just about showing off on Social Media. The Seoul International Book Fair, which was held in the first half of this year, attracted 150,000 visitors, an increase of about 15.4% from the previous year. On the weekends, the waiting time to enter the fair was over an hour, and the lines for experience booths and purchases were extremely long. As most of the visitors were in their 20s and 30s, they showed the characteristics of an active reading population. Perhaps they were framed as a generation that is addicted to smartphones and does not read books.
Also, they are active in finding and sharing good books, not just trending bestsellers. One of the categories that has become more “hip” with the influx of readers in their 20s is poetry. In the first half of this year, readers in their 20s accounted for 26.5% of sales by age group in the poetry category. Poetry collections were appealing to them because they let you feel and share various thoughts and emotions through short verses.

 

 

When looking at the most popular poetry collections read by readers in their 20s in the first half of this year, the rise of younger poets such as Ko Sun-Kyung, Park Cham-Sae, and Seo Deok-Jun stood out. It seems that readers were moved by poetry collections by poets with a sense of contemporaneity rather than those that have been loved for a long time and have become favorites. In addition, collections featuring summer poems were noticeable. For example, Shower Gel and Soda (Munhakdongne Publishing), Be My Summer (Wisdom House), and What I Learned on the Summer Hill (Changbi Publishing), which connect youth and summer, were popular as refreshing reads.

 

 

An idol group member also revealed their love of books, which helped move the audience in their 20s: “I wanted to read Schopenhauer at twenty when everyone else was reading at forty,” they said, referring to Reading Schopenhauer at Forty (Uknowbooks). It sparked a desire to read among younger readers outside the book’s target age range. The impact was noticeable when sales were compared by age group. In May, when some YouTube content was uploaded, sales among the 20s age group surged by 2.1 times compared to the previous month. When comparing sales across age groups, the share of those in their 40s decreased month-over-month, while the share of those in their 20s saw a significant increase of 5.1 percentage points.

 

 

The Schopenhauer effect

 

Reading Schopenhauer at Forty was the most popular book in the first half of 2024, topping the overall bestseller list, in addition to the effect of the celebrity referral. It gained attention last year when an entertainment program cited it as a book that a celebrity in their 40s empathized with, and it remained popular even after the show ended. Schopenhauer’s insights in the book continue to draw readers into the world of philosophy. Readers were drawn to Schopenhauer’s philosophy of facing oneself soberly, rather than with false comfort, as a guide to life. In addition, the interest in philosophy books has increased from the level of easy-to-understand books centered on the liberal arts, to a more in-depth look at the philosophy that a philosopher established throughout his life.

 

 

In the first half of this year, books in the field of philosophy grew by 43.1% year-on-year. In particular, books on Western philosophy showed a remarkable growth rate of 125.8%, and accounted for 58.6% of sales in the field of philosophy. Books on Eastern philosophy, which had declined by -32.1% last year, also grew by 16.4% in the first half of this year, indicating that philosophy is on the rise.
Following the strong performance of Schopenhauer related books such as Don’t Waste Your Life to Show Others, interest in other Western philosophers is also continuing, including Schopenhauer Aphorism. Following Schopenhauer, books on Western philosophers such as Nietzsche, Machiavelli, Plato, and Kant have been selling the most. It seems that readers who wanted to gain life wisdom with SayNo Love (Day One) last year have moved to the old “teachings of philosophers.”

 

Growing together with humane stories

 

When it came to new books, readers clearly preferred nonfiction over fiction. They were captivated by stories of people living in the same era, particularly those that offer insight into how others navigate their lives and rise above adversity. Interest in essays that share life lessons learned from personal experiences has been especially strong, leading to the highest growth in the first half of this year, at 19.1%, following a sharp decline in recent years. Essay books, which once dominated bookstore shelves as hot-selling titles, had dropped to as few as five titles in 2022. However, they have made a comeback, with 14 titles appearing in the top 100 overall bestsellers in the first half of this year, signaling a resurgence in their popularity.

 

 

Patrick Bringley’s All the Beauty in the World, which secured first place in the essay category, was named Book of the Year by critic Lee Dong-Jin. This poignant memoir chronicles a man's journey of healing and triumph over the pain of loss, finding solace and renewal through the artworks in the museum where he sought refuge. In Korea, Kim Sung-Geun’s Life is a Moment (Dasan Books) has been a popular choice, given the popularity of the baseball entertainment program. His passion for baseball, even at the age of over 80, reminds us of what it means to be a professional. It resonates in an era when true adult leadership is needed. Also, Gangster Grandmother in Hospital (Book 21) by Yang Yoo-Jin, a YouTuber who brings laughter even while battling an incurable disease, gave support to the author’s story of how she has reached the point of enjoying the bumps and bruises of life. Humanistic essays like this remind us that we grow as much as we hurt and deepen as much as we heal. Readers’ desire for essays implies their desire to learn life lessons and grow to the next level.

 

 

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Written by Kim Hyun-Jung (Brand Communication Team, Kyobo Book Centre)