'STOP THE STEAL' Tops Bestseller List... Many Novels in the Rankings

'STOP THE STEAL' Tops Bestseller List
Criticism of Supreme Court's Ruling on Election Fraud
Novels by Jeong Daegeon, Yang Guija, and Han Kang Rank High

The book 'STOP THE STEAL,' which criticizes the Supreme Court's ruling related to election fraud, rose 51 places to rank first overall in Kyobo Bookstore's bestseller list for the second week of February. Examining the purchase proportions, male readers were slightly higher, but the proportion of female readers was similarly significant. Male readers in their 30s accounted for the highest share at 16.9%, and purchases by those in their 30s and 40s each accounted for 27.1%, making them the main buying demographic. Han Kang's 'The Boy is Coming,' which held the overall first place for 14 consecutive weeks, along with 'The Words of the Translated Buddha' and 'The Vegetarian,' each dropped one rank.

Jeong Dae-geon's 'Rapid Current' took 5th place overall, surpassing Yang Gui-ja's 'Contradiction,' which has maintained a high ranking amid the popularity of steady sellers and Han Kang's works. Sales in the novel category showed noticeable growth. Following 'The Words of the Translated Buddha,' which gained attention through Jang Won-young's recommendation, interest in life insights and profound philosophical questions also stood out. Alongside this, Hermann Hesse's 'Siddhartha' attracted attention as well, rising 52 places to 31st overall. Interest in classic literature was also reflected.

The new book by Robert Kiyosaki, author of the steady seller 'Rich Dad Poor Dad,' titled 'Why the Rich Get Richer,' entered the overall list at 23rd place. The release of a new book by the author, who has enjoyed steady popularity for over 20 years, drew attention. Additionally, in the economics and business category, Professor Kim Nan-do's research team’s 'Twenty-One, Thirty-Nine' rose two places to 25th overall, and consistently loved economic theory books such as 'Capitalism' and 'The Immutable Laws' regained popularity.

In Yes24's overall bestseller list for the second week of February, 'The Words of the Translated Buddha,' which became a hot topic through recommendation by popular idol Jang Won-young, reclaimed the top spot after two weeks. 'Hwang Hyun-pil's History for Progress,' written by Hwang Hyun-pil, director of the History Correction Research Institute, ranked second, and Han Kang's 'The Boy is Coming,' winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, took third place. Global mentor Brian Tracy's 'If You Don't Act, Your Life Won't Change' was in fourth place, followed by essayist Tae-su's 'Adult Happiness is Quiet,' released after two years.

This week, humanities books, including transcription books, received much love. Along with the humanities book 'The Words of the Translated Buddha,' which ranked first, the popularity of transcription continued into the new year, with 'One Page a Day: My Vocabulary Transcription Notebook' and 'Transcription Book for Those Who Want to Use Better Vocabulary' ranking 6th and 18th respectively. To commemorate the 5th anniversary of its publication, the revised and expanded edition of 'When I Don't Even Know What I Want' saw a 52.8% increase in sales compared to the previous week, entering the top 20 overall for the first time.

Novels also attracted significant attention. Representative works by Han Kang such as 'The Boy is Coming,' 'The Vegetarian,' and 'I Do Not Say Goodbye' maintained their positions within the rankings. Jeong Dae-geon's second full-length novel 'Rapid Current' and Yang Gui-ja's steady seller novel 'Contradiction' were noted as representative comeback works, ranking 13th and 15th respectively. Additionally, with the school vacation, the collection of must-read Korean novels for middle and high school students, '50 Korean Short Stories,' rose to 17th place, making five novels within the top 20.

'The Art of the Mind,' a brain usage guide to erase negative emotions, ranked 19th overall. Since its release in November last year, 'The Art of the Mind' has seen sales increase for three consecutive months (December 2024 to February 2025), with sales in February (2.1?12) surging 81.7% compared to the previous month. In terms of purchaser age groups, those in their 40s and 50s accounted for 65.2%, indicating strong popularity among middle-aged and older readers.

'The Art of the Mind' was co-authored by a neuroscientist and a psychotherapist. The book helps readers understand the brain and practice behaviors to effectively cope with psychological issues in daily life, enabling readers themselves to become 'the primary doctor of their own mind.'