'Super Positive King' Jang Wonyoung's Single Word Creates a 'Syndrome'... Book Sales Soar 76 Times

A Book by a Japanese Monk, "Choyeok Bucheon-ui Mal"
Kyobo Bookstore and Yes24 Bestsellers

There is a book whose sales surged 76 times overnight due to a single remark by Jang Wonyoung, a member of the popular female idol group IVE. The book is "Choyeok Bucheon-ui Mal" (The Words of Buddha: A New Translation) written by Japanese monk Koike Ryunosuke.

"Choyeok Bucheon-ui Mal" written by Japanese monk Koike Ryunosuke, recommended by Jang Wonyoung, has become a bestseller. Photo by Starship Entertainment

In Kyobo Bookstore's bestseller ranking for the third week of January, "Choyeok Bucheon-ui Mal" ranked 4th. This book, which reinterprets Buddha's teachings in modern language, was published domestically in May last year. After Jang Wonyoung revealed on the January 15th episode of tvN's "You Quiz on the Block" and on the January 17th YouTube channel "Chilchilchil" in the "Dex's Coldterview" segment that she "enjoys reading" it, sales increased 76 times compared to the previous week. Among the buyers, women accounted for 65.7%, significantly outnumbering men (34.3%), and by age group, those in their 30s made up the largest proportion at 37.7%.

On Yes24 as well, "Choyeok Bucheon-ui Mal" made it onto the bestseller list. On the broadcast day of "You Quiz" on the 15th, sales increased about 20 times (1983.3%) compared to the previous day, and on the 16th, sales roughly doubled (115.2%).

Regarding this book, Jang Wonyoung said, "'Do not be attached. If you are not attached to worldly matters, there is no problem, but the moment you become attached, that thought causes suffering and makes things difficult.' This phrase gave me great strength," adding, "Even when I get angry, when I come home and read the book again, it helps me calm down and gives me the strength to start tomorrow." She also introduced, "'There is also a phrase in the book that says, 'Extinguish the spark of the mind.''"

This is not the first time Jang Wonyoung's recommended book has caused a sensation. Last year, after appearing on the YouTube content "Salon Drip" and mentioning, "Among the books I recently read, there is one called 'Schopenhauer to Read at Forty.' Others read it at forty, but I wanted to read it at twenty. I was comforted through the pessimistic Schopenhauer," that book became the number one bestseller in the first half of last year.