K Literature Gaining Attention in the Globalization of Content... Translated Works Also Increasing Significantly

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] Along with the rising global attention to K-literature, the sales of foreign language translations of domestic literary books are also increasing.

According to Yes24 bookstore's annual sales trend data of English translations of Korean literature published domestically, sales volume has increased every year over the past three years from 2020 to this year compared to the same period of the previous year. Sales this year have increased by more than 1.57 times compared to 2019.

Recently, "Jeojutokki" (The Curse Rabbit), which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and is negotiating rights contracts with 17 countries, is gaining attention overseas along with the domestic book. Additionally, translated works by author Han Kang, who won the Man Booker International Prize and attracted global interest, such as "The Vegetarian," "White," and "The Boy is Coming," as well as Jo Nam-joo's "Kim Ji-young, Born 1982," which has been loved for a long time, have established themselves as steady sellers among foreign books.

In recent years, the number of Korean literary works that have won or been nominated for international literary awards and gained attention has gradually increased, and it is becoming common for works to be nominated repeatedly for the same awards.

Since 2011, when author Shin Kyung-sook's "Please Look After Mom" entered the U.S. market and won the Man Asian Literary Prize as the first Korean author, and in 2016 when Han Kang won the Man Booker International Prize for "The Vegetarian," global interest in Korean literature has surged, and the frequency of winning or being nominated for international awards has also increased.

In the first half of this year, "Jeojutokki" and Lee Su-ji's "Summer Comes" won the Hans Christian Andersen Award, attracting worldwide attention, and Son Won-pyung's "The Counterattack of Thirty" was selected as the second translated novel for the Japanese bookstore award following "Almond," continuing a series of major overseas literary award wins.

Yoo Seo-young, team leader of Book Team 3, commented on the sales trend of translated Korean literary works, saying, "As more Korean literary works gain attention through international literary awards, the number of translated publications is increasing, and readers seeking these works are also growing. This year, with Lee Su-ji winning the Andersen Award and Jeong Bora being nominated for the Booker Prize, the genres of spotlighted works are expanding into various fields. We hope that diverse genres of domestic works will continue to be actively introduced to overseas readers."

While K-culture such as music, drama, and film is loved worldwide, its influence is also extending to K-literature.

Recently, among overseas MZ generation, content recommending books read by beloved Hallyu stars has emerged, and among the recommended books, translated Korean literary works are gaining interest among young people abroad. In particular, BTS, who are loved worldwide, have attracted attention from many overseas fans for the books they read, and among them, Son Won-pyung's "Almond," read by RM and Suga, is gaining popularity overseas.

Moreover, with the growth of global OTT platforms such as Netflix and Apple TV+, international interest in K-content is rising, and this trend is also reflected in the increased attention to original books following the success of adaptations based on literary works. The success of the Apple TV+ drama "Pachinko," based on the novel about a Korean-Japanese family, has sparked worldwide interest in K-stories delivered by Korean-American author Min Jin Lee.