Both Bookstores and Libraries Experience the 'Hangang Syndrome'

Nationwide Surge in Paper Book Sales
Overseas Bookstores Also Face Sold-Out Crisis

Novelist Han Kang (54) has become the first Korean writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, sparking a 'Han Kang syndrome' at bookstores and libraries both domestically and internationally. Both online and offline bookstores have sold out their stock, and public libraries are bustling with people eager to borrow Han Kang's books.

On the afternoon of the 10th, citizens are looking through the works of author Han Kang at the Han Kang author corner set up at Kyobo Bookstore Gwanghwamun branch in Jongno-gu, Seoul, as Han Kang became the first Korean writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to the book loan status collected by the National Library of Korea's big data analysis platform 'Library Information Naru' from about 1,490 public libraries nationwide, as of 4 p.m. on the 14th, Han Kang's works occupy the top three spots in the 'most popular loaned books.' The first place is Han Kang's linked novel The Vegetarian, with 1,317 loans from the 7th to the 13th of this month. Second place is Human Acts (1,147 loans), and third place is We Do Not Say Goodbye (1,118 loans).

In particular, the novel We Do Not Say Goodbye jumped from 547th place in the loan rankings during the previous week (from the 30th of last month to the 6th of this month) to 3rd place, rising 544 places from the 7th to the 13th. This is analyzed to be due to the sharp increase in loan demand following the announcement of the Nobel Prize in Literature winner on the 10th. Human Acts, considered one of Han Kang's representative works, also surged from 206th to 2nd place in the weekly loan rankings.

The bookstore industry is also experiencing an unusual boom, with 'open runs' and 'sold-out chaos.' According to major bookstores such as Kyobo Bookstore and Yes24, more than 680,000 copies of Han Kang's major works have been sold from the time of the Nobel Prize announcement until the afternoon of the previous day. On Amazon, which holds over 50% of the U.S. book market, The Vegetarian ranked 1st in literature and 10th overall last weekend.

The publishing industry is also enjoying a boom. The printing and binding industry is reportedly operating 24-hour lines to produce Han Kang's books. Kim Ki-ok, head of the Book Business Team 1 at Yes24, said, "As this is the first Nobel Prize in Literature awarded to a Korean, interest in Han Kang's works is increasing," adding, "It is expected to invigorate Korean literature as a whole."