'Trend Korea 2026' Tops the Charts for 11 Consecutive Weeks... 'The Minimum Three Kingdoms' Rises to Second Place

'Trend Korea 2026' Tops Kyobo Bookstore
'The Minimum Three Kingdoms' Leads Yes24

'Trend Korea 2026' has proven readers' keen interest in next year's trends by ranking first overall at Kyobo Bookstore for 11 consecutive weeks. 'The Minimum Three Kingdoms' by Choi Taesung climbed 17 spots to take third place overall. The book is gaining popularity as it is praised for making the story of the Three Kingdoms easy to understand while also imparting wisdom for life. As Choi Taesung is a history lecturer who has appeared on various entertainment programs and has an active presence on YouTube, interest among readers has grown. Of the buyers, 63.4% were women, with women in their 40s accounting for the largest share at 29.2%.

'Contradiction' by Yang Gwija, which has never fallen out of the top 10 on the overall bestseller list for 49 weeks, remained steadily popular, ranking fourth overall this week. In the foreign fiction category, 'Project Hail Mary' by Andy Weir saw a surge in sales amid anticipation for the film adaptation, while world literature series such as 'Siddhartha' and 'Do You Like Brahms?' also stood out in popularity.

This week, the influence of readers in their 20s was particularly notable. 'Rapid Current' by Jeong Daegun, which is popular among readers in their 20s, climbed nine spots to reach 12th place overall. With the winter break approaching, demand for TOEIC exam preparation increased, and 'Hackers TOEIC Actual Test Vocabulary' rose seven spots to 27th overall. Reflecting the growing enthusiasm for Japanese language study, 'Otherworldly Japanese Grammar from Zero' by Oogi Hitoshi newly entered the list at 37th place among foreign language study books.

In the second week of December, Yes24's overall bestseller list saw 'The Minimum Three Kingdoms' by Choi Taesung hold the top spot for the second consecutive week. 'Trend Korea 2026' and 'The Quiet Happiness of Adulthood' by Taesoo maintained their positions at second and third, respectively. 'Honmono' by Seong Haena, who was selected by Yes24 as the number one 'Young Writer Who Will Shape the Future of Korean Literature in 2024,' ranked fourth, while 'Goethe Said Everything,' the debut novel by Yui Suzuki, climbed three spots from the previous week to fifth place.

'The Minimum Three Kingdoms,' which ranked first, saw its weekly sales increase 1.5 times compared to the previous week, continuing its upward trend. In the literature category, both new releases and steady sellers were well received. 'Goethe Said Everything' saw sales increase for three consecutive weeks, and Hwang Sokyong's new novel 'Halmae' demonstrated its strength by ranking 10th overall just two days after sales began.

'The Quiet Happiness of Adulthood' (third place), now in its 15th month since publication, and 'Honmono' (fourth place), in its 10th month, saw sales increases of 103.9% and 98.5%, respectively, compared to the same period last month, proving their continued popularity. In addition, eight novels and essays made it into the top 20 overall, including 'Live Cherishing You' by Na Taejoo (12th), 'Cutting Edge' by Gu Byeongmo (13th), 'Contradiction' by Yang Gwija (15th), and 'Grapefruit Apricot Club' by Han Roro (18th).

In December, as the year comes to a close, books on economics and business also performed strongly. Notable titles included 'Trend Korea 2026' (second place), the special edition commemorating 100,000 copies sold of 'Park Gomhee's Pension Wealth Class' (sixth place), and the new investment book 'Insider Insight' (11th place). In particular, 'Insider Insight' was strongly supported by male readers in their 30s and 40s (57.3%).

The screenplay collection for the film 'Face,' starring Park Jungmin, attracted significant attention by reaching 10th place in the arts category after pre-orders began on December 8.

Hwang Sokyong has returned with his new novel 'Halmae.' Just two days after sales began, it ranked 10th overall and third in the fiction, poetry, and drama category, with 95.4% of buyers being middle-aged readers in their 40s to 60s. 'Halmae' is an epic work that starts with a bird that has passed away and centers on the hackberry tree 'Halmae,' which has endured for 600 years, weaving together the history of this land and the lives of its people. The powerful writing style and dense narrative immerse readers in vivid historical scenes.