June Book Sales Reach 119.8 Billion KRW, Down 5.1% Year-on-Year... "Yes24 Hacking Impact"

Total book sales in June saw a significant decrease compared to the previous month and the same period last year.

According to data from the Publishing Distribution Integrated Computer Network released by the Korea Publishing and Culture Industry Promotion Agency, total book sales in June amounted to 119.8 billion KRW, down approximately 10.1% from 133.3 billion KRW in the previous month. This figure also represents a decrease of about 5.1% compared to 126.2 billion KRW in the same month last year.

An official from the agency explained, "Seasonal factors and issues such as the hacking of online bookstores appear to have had a relatively significant impact on the decline in sales."

Among the top titles in the list of 200 Notable Books for June, which was released at the same time, literary works featured prominently. The short story collection "Honmono" by Sung Haena took the top spot, followed by "First Summer, Wanju" by Kim Geumhee, "The Boy is Coming" by Han Kang, "Contradiction" by Yang Gwija, and "A Single Life" by Kim Youngha, all ranking high on the list.

The 200 Notable Books list is based on data compiled by the Publishing Distribution Integrated Computer Network operated by the Korea Publishing and Culture Industry Promotion Agency. It provides comprehensive sales rankings by integrating sales data from Kyobo Bookstore, Yes24, Aladin, Youngpoong Bookstore, and 327 local bookstores nationwide.

By age group, in their 20s, in addition to general bestsellers, exam preparation books such as TOEIC practice tests and the Korean History Proficiency Test ranked high, as did "Unknown Seoul Script Book" and the comic book "Kaiju 8-ho RELAX 2."

In their 40s, college entrance exam books and elementary and middle school reference books also ranked high, likely as purchases for their children. In addition, "100-Day Copybook to Cultivate Adult Dignity" and "Ryu Sooyoung's Lifetime Recipes" were among the top-ranked titles.

An agency official stated, "With the success of the Seoul International Book Fair and the influence of 'publisher' Park Jungmin, the so-called 'Text Hip' (the phenomenon of reading books being considered sophisticated) atmosphere is continuing. We expect that, in the long term, this will help revitalize the publishing market."

The "200 Notable Books" list is announced around the 10th of each month. It not only provides readers with information on popular books, but is also used as a reference for stocking at local bookstores, book selection at libraries, and planning and marketing by publishers. Detailed analysis for the period can be found in the "Sales Data Report" on the Publishing Distribution Integrated Computer Network at the end of the month.