[In Numbers] Han Kang's Works Dominate Bookstores, Taking Top 7 Bestseller Spots

Since author Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in Literature on October 10, her books have alternated in occupying the number one spot on the bestseller lists at bookstores.

According to Kyobo Bookstore’s bestseller rankings for the fourth week of October (October 23-29), Han Kang’s “The Vegetarian” took the top spot.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Second place went to “Human Acts,” third to “I Do Not Bid Farewell.” Following these were “The White Book” in fourth, “I Put Dinner in the Drawer” in fifth, “Greek Lessons” in sixth, and “The Essential: Han Kang” in seventh. All of the top seven bestsellers were Han Kang’s books.

In the third week of October (October 16-22), Han Kang’s works also held all the top seven spots on the bestseller list. “I Do Not Bid Farewell” was number one, followed by “Human Acts” in second and “The Vegetarian” in third. These were followed by “I Put Dinner in the Drawer,” “The White Book,” “Greek Lessons,” and “The Essential: Han Kang.” For two consecutive weeks, Han Kang’s books have occupied all the top seven positions.

This marks the third consecutive week that a Han Kang book has been the number one bestseller. Since Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in Literature, all number one bestsellers at Kyobo Bookstore for three consecutive weeks have been her works. In the second week of October (October 9-15), immediately after the award was announced, “Human Acts” was the bestseller. While the specific title at the top has changed, all have been books by Han Kang.

Kyobo Bookstore reported that, since Han Kang was named the Nobel laureate, the average age of those purchasing her books has increased compared to before the announcement, and the proportion of male readers has also risen.

At Aladin and Yes24, six out of the top ten bestsellers were also Han Kang’s books.

“The Vegetarian,” published in 2007, is a novel that brought Han Kang’s name to global attention. It was translated into English by Deborah Smith, and through this work, Han Kang became the first Korean to win the Man Booker International Prize in 2016.

Recently, the National Federation of Parents’ Associations argued that this work is a harmful publication and should not be placed in school libraries.

Last year, a school library in Gyeonggi Province discarded the book due to issues related to sexual descriptions.