"Heonhan Namnae 21" Tops Bestseller List for 3 Consecutive Weeks... "Stock Investment for Progress" Sees Sharp Rise in Sales

Kyobo Bookstore No. 1 - "Heonhan Namnae 21"
Yes24 No. 1 - "Stock Investment for Progress"

"Heonhan Namnae 21" has maintained the top spot on the Kyobo Bookstore overall bestseller list for three consecutive weeks, followed by "Goethe Said Everything" by Yui Suzuki, recommended by critic Lee Dongjin, which ranked second overall. "I Am a Security Guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art" also climbed to the top ranks, bolstered by critical recommendations, highlighting the significant influence of endorsements.

In addition, "I Said Goodbye," by Kim Aeran, which was the most recommended work by 50 novelists, continued its popularity by ranking third overall. Other novels such as "Jeolchang," "Grapefruit Apricot Club," and "Honmono" have consistently remained in the upper ranks, driven by the interest of readers in their twenties.

At the start of the year, the movement of readers eager to study economics also stood out. Amid economic uncertainty, "Trend Korea 2026" held onto fourth place overall as readers sought insight, while "Stock Investment for Progress" by Lee Gwangsu ranked ninth, reflecting increased demand for investment learning in line with the stock market recovery. Additionally, "Park Gomhee's Pension Wealth Class" and "The Minimum Economic Study to Survive in the Age of Capitalism" ranked fourteenth and fifteenth overall, respectively, showing continued reader interest in personal finance.

In the first week of January, the Yes24 overall bestseller list was topped by "Stock Investment for Progress" by Professor Lee Gwangsu, head of Gwangsu Real Estate Agency and an expert in economics. The book showed a steady increase in sales over the past two weeks, with a 15.1% rise compared to the previous week. Next, "2026 Big Star Teacher Choi Taeseong's Special Korean History Exam Advanced (Levels 1, 2, 3) Part 1" ranked second, and the 2025 Akutagawa Prize winner "Goethe Said Everything" ranked third. "2026 Big Star Teacher Choi Taeseong's Special Korean History Exam Advanced (Levels 1, 2, 3) Part 2" ranked fourth, and "2026 Big Star Teacher Choi Taeseong's 500 Past Questions for the Korean History Exam Advanced (Levels 1, 2, 3)" took fifth place.

With the arrival of the new year and growing interest in self-development, it was notable that five exam preparation and language learning books were included in the top 10 overall. In addition to the three Korean History Exam prep books, "ETS TOEIC Official Test Practice Book 1000 Vol. 5 RC" (eighth) and "ETS TOEIC Official Test Practice Book 1000 Vol. 5 LC" (ninth) also made the list.

As a result, in the first week of the new year, sales of Korean History Exam prep books increased by 52.7% compared to the previous week, while sales of TOEIC study books rose by 20.1%. With heightened interest in investment and economics, four business and economics books-"Stock Investment for Progress" (first), "Park Gomhee's Pension Wealth Class: Special Edition for 100,000 Copies Sold" (tenth), "Trend Korea 2026" (fifteenth), and "The Minimum Economic Study to Survive in the Age of Capitalism" (eighteenth)-were ranked within the top 20.

Readers' love for literature continued into the new year. The 2021 Japanese novel "Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight," which regained attention due to the release of a Korean film adaptation of the same name, climbed to twenty-fourth overall, showing a resurgence in popularity. The screenplay book for "Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight," which ranked second in the arts category, had a 28.9% purchase rate among readers in their twenties.

Nobumi's picture book "Mom Has Become a Ghost!" published in 2016, surged to first place in the children's bestseller category and thirteenth overall after regaining popularity. Introduced as a touching story in a Reels video by parenting influencer "Oyeol Mom," the book went viral as a "forbidden book for F moms," and the video surpassed 2 million views.

Short-form videos sharing tears and emotional reactions to the book spread like a challenge, leading to a sharp increase in sales. In December, sales rose by 336% compared to the previous month, and in the first week of the new year, they increased by 148.7% compared to the previous week. Despite its cute cover, the book begins with the shocking sentence, "Mom became a ghost after being hit by a car," resonating particularly with female readers in their 30s and 40s, who accounted for 80.8% of the audience.