Minumsa Humanities Magazine 'Hanpyeon' First Issue 3,000 Copies Sold Out

Surpassing 1,000 Regular Subscribers Within One Week of Launch

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Minumsa announced on the 22nd that the inaugural issue of the humanities magazine 'Hanpyeon,' published on the 14th, surpassed 1,000 regular subscribers within one week of its release. They also added that the initial print run of 3,000 copies sold out completely within a week, receiving an unprecedented response for a paper magazine in the humanities field.

'Hanpyeon' was launched with the slogan "A piece of humanities shorter than a book and easier than a thesis." Each issue features ten articles from various disciplines such as sociology, political science, cultural anthropology, demography, philosophy, and aesthetics under a single theme. The theme of the inaugural issue is "Generation," reflecting the aim of young editors and researchers creating a new generation humanities magazine. Priced at 10,000 KRW, it will be published three times a year (January, May, September) in a small, handheld format.

On the first day of opening one-year subscriptions on the 15th, 'Hanpyeon' received 300 applicants. According to Minumsa’s server statistics, applicants in their 30s accounted for the largest share at 41%, followed by those in their 20s at 34%, and those in their 40s at 14%. As of the 22nd, 40% of the 1,000 regular subscribers are new subscribers, while 57% are existing members of Minumsa’s first domestic book membership service, 'Minum Book Club.'

'Hanpyeon' started with the concept of reading a single piece of writing together. Centered on a paper magazine that allows readers to focus deeply on the text, it also offers a newsletter service that delivers related literature quickly and easily, along with public seminars connecting authors and readers. On the 29th, a public seminar titled "Generation and Gender" will be held in Room 402 of Yonsei University’s Yeonhui Hall.

The public seminar will feature Kim Young-mi, a professor at Yonsei University, and writer Lee Min-kyung, both contributors to the inaugural issue. The newsletter service has 1,500 subscribers who receive curated humanities content from Minumsa’s series such as 'World Literature Collection,' 'Adventures in Modern Thought,' and 'Ssonsal Books.'