Moving Beyond Paper Books: Short and Light 'Listening to Books' Gains Popularity

E-books, Audiobooks, Chatbooks, and Docent Books Gain Popularity
Distinct Shifts in Reading Formats and Patterns

According to the '2025 Year-End Review of Reading Content' released by KT Millie's Library, reading this year expanded into a variety of formats such as e-books, audiobooks, chatbooks, and docent books, leading to a more diversified pattern of content consumption among users.

In the e-book sector, rather than focusing on specific bestsellers, a wide range of works received steady attention each month depending on current issues and special projects. In February, 'Toemarok Domestic Edition 1' gained popularity due to the release of the entire series. In March, 'Siddhartha' drew attention as the Minumsa World Literature Collection was released. In June, the video series 'Literature Appreciation Society' prompted a renewed interest in Eun Heekyung's 'A Gift from a Bird.' In October, when the Nobel Prize in Literature was announced, 'Satantango' reached the top spot immediately upon its release. Among teenage users, 'Torrent' and 'Demian' were the most widely read, while science books such as 'The Selfish Gene' and 'Why Fish Don't Exist' also maintained steady interest.

For audiobooks, 'listening to books' has become a major reading method, resulting in a significant increase in usage. By age group, users in their 40s accounted for the largest share, and by genre, novels were the most popular. The most popular titles by month included 'Such Trivial Things' in January, 'Outside Is Summer' in February, 'Toemarok Domestic Edition 1' in May, 'The Bird That Drinks Tears 1' in June, 'Lonely Suspect' in September, and 'Honmono' in October. In particular, works narrated by celebrities such as actress Kim Taeri-including 'Outside Is Summer' and 'Wings'-as well as steady-selling audiobooks, received enthusiastic responses due to their high level of immersion.

As reading habits shifted away from finishing entire books to enjoying shorter, lighter content, usage of secondary content such as chatbooks and docent books surged. The number of uses increased dramatically from 80,000 in 2019 to 2.7 million in 2025. Popular chatbooks included the 'Step-by-Step Economic Knowledge' series, 'Diary of Emotional Exchange,' and 'Classic Fandom.' In the docent book category, economic and humanities books such as 'Principles,' 'I Study Neuroscience When I Want to Know Myself,' and 'The Changing World Order' stood out.

A representative from Millie's Library commented, "This year-end review shows that reading is expanding beyond paper books into various formats," adding, "It has become clear that users are consuming different types of content each month according to their circumstances and preferences."