A Novel-Centered Book Market, with Practical Guides Also on the Rise
Yui Suzuki's "Goethe Said Everything" has risen to the top spot on Kyobo Bookstore's overall bestseller list. Books recommended by critic Lee Dongjin, such as "I Am a Security Guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art," have also climbed the rankings, demonstrating the influence of recommended content. These recommended titles, which have become highly anticipated at the start of the year, have particularly attracted female readers, while a noticeable increase in male readership was also observed. The primary readership was in their 30s.
Interest in novels has remained steady. Kim Aeran's "I Said Goodbye" followed in second place overall, while Han Roro's "Grapefruit Apricot Club" and Seong Haena's "Honmono" climbed to fourth and sixth place overall, respectively. Even in 2026, Yang Gwi-ja's "Contradiction" maintained its position within the top ten, showcasing its staying power as a steady seller. "I Wish for What Is Forbidden to Me" also jumped 12 spots to rank 56th overall.
Despite the strong performance of literature, there was also notable interest in personal finance books. Lee Gwangsu's "Stock Investment for Progress" rose six places to rank third overall. The author’s frequent appearances on YouTube content are believed to have fueled interest in stock investing, which has translated into book sales. Seong Seunghyeon's "Trend-Following Investment with Just One Candlestick Chart" also entered the chart at fifth place, while "The Minimum Economic Study to Survive in the Age of Capitalism" continued its upward trend.
In Yes24's second-week January overall bestseller tally, "Stock Investment for Progress" by Lee Gwangsu, head of Gwangsu Real Estate Agency and an expert in economics, held the top spot for the second consecutive week. "Goethe Said Everything," which won the 2025 Akutagawa Prize, climbed one spot from the previous week to take second place. "2026 Big Star Teacher Choi Taeseong's Byulbyul Korean History: Advanced Korean History Proficiency Test (Levels 1·2·3)" volumes one and two ranked third and fourth, respectively, while "2026 Big Star Teacher Choi Taeseong's Byulbyul Korean History: 500 Questions for the Advanced Korean History Proficiency Test (Levels 1·2·3)" took fifth place, putting three of instructor Choi Taeseong's exam prep books in the top five.
With the winter break and the new year, demand for study guides also remained steady. In addition to the Korean History Proficiency Test prep books ranked in the top five, "ETS TOEIC Official Test Practice Questions 1000 Vol.5 RC" took ninth place, "ETS TOEIC Official Test Practice Questions 1000 Vol.5 LC" ranked tenth, and "Hackers TOEIC Official Test VOCA" landed at seventeenth, demonstrating the popularity of TOEIC study guides. As a result, six exam prep and study guides made it into the top twenty overall.
The popularity of novels, which swept the publishing industry last year, has continued. In addition to the overall second place "Goethe Said Everything," a variety of works such as Hermann Hesse's classic "Demian" (eighth place), Kim Aeran's "I Said Goodbye" (eleventh), Han Roro's "Grapefruit Apricot Club" (thirteenth), Seong Haena's "Honmono" (fifteenth), which was selected as "2024 Young Writer of the Year" by Yes24 readers, and the steady seller "Contradiction" (nineteenth), were chosen by readers.
Sales growth was particularly notable in January, a month when many people resolve to read more. "Goethe Said Everything" saw a 75.7% increase in sales compared to the same period last month, "I Said Goodbye" surged by 119.9%, and "Grapefruit Apricot Club" also rose by 23%. Thanks to the popularity of the limited edition "Monthly Classic" series from the Munhakdongne World Literature Collection, "Demian" ranked second in the fiction, poetry, and drama category and eighth overall immediately after its release on January 9.
Meanwhile, with the success of "Black-and-White Chef 2," which concluded after 13 episodes, the winner Chef Choi Kangrok's books also experienced a resurgence in sales. His cookbook "Choi Kangrok's Cooking Notes" and essay "What It Means to Cook" each took the top spot in the home & lifestyle and essay categories, respectively. In particular, after the final episode aired, "Choi Kangrok's Cooking Notes" saw a 122.3% increase in sales compared to the previous week.
Interest in Chef Choi Kangrok's thoughts and philosophy, which garnered attention during his winner's speech, also translated into book purchases. The essay "What It Means to Cook" saw a 321.1% surge in sales compared to the previous week, and both books received a strong response from male readers in their 20s and 30s.
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