Korean Literature Braves Economic Woes

by Chung Ah-young writing in The Korea Times, 5 May, 2009.

Shin Kyung-sook's ``Take Care of My Mom'' drove much of the boom in Korean literature this year.

Korean literature is booming more than ever despite the economic downturn that has dealt a serious blow to the local publishing industry.

According to the Kyobo Bookstore, sales of Korean literature publications including poems, essays and novels dramatically increased by 35.7 percent in the first quarter over the same period last year. The number of Korean literature books sold in the same period rose 36.2 percent. There was an exceptionally sharp rise in the sales of Korean literature publications in the first quarter compared to the same
period in previous years. Sales had seen an average increase of around 20 percent, but this year's sales have greatly surpassed that,'' Jin Young-kyun, a manager at the bookstore, said.

Cover of Take Care of My Mom

Yes 24, the online bookstore, has also seen first quarter of sales soar by 37.4 percent, a drastic growth rate from 14 percent in 2007 and last year's 3 percent.At the center of the popularity, ``Take Care of My Mom'' written by celebrated author Shin Kyung-sook is attributed as a catalyst. Since it was first published in November, about 700,000 copies have been sold, a mega hit given that it is hard for a novel to sell 100,000 copies in the sagging publishing industry.

Most readers of ``Take Care of My Mom'' are women in their 20s and 30s who have strong buying power. According to Yes 24, female readers in their 20s represent 25.2 percent, while women in their 30s make up 28.3 percent adding up to more than 50 percent of the total. ``Take Care of My Mom,'' the best seller of the first quarter, was followed by ``Shouting to the World,'' a self-help book by Big Bang, the pop idol group with 350,000 copies sold. After these, most of the hot sellers were novels and essays such as ``I Will Support You Whatever Kind of Life You Live'' and ``Light as a Feather'' both written by Gong Ji-young, ``Gaebapbaragibyeol'' by Hwang Suk-young and ``All Guilt for Those Who Don't Love Now'' by veteran author Noh Hee-kyung.

For more go to The Korea Times online.