Han Kang's Nobel Prize boosts book market

South Korean writer Han Kang's books are enjoying soaring popularity across various sales channels, from bookstores and e-commerce platforms to department stores, following her Nobel Prize in literature win last week.

Kyobo Book Center reported Friday that around 103,000 copies of Han’s works had sold through its online and offline stores just one day after the Nobel announcement. Competitors Yes24 and Aladin sold more than 132,000 and 70,000 of her books, respectively, over the same period.

Specifically, Yes24 experienced a 9,000-fold increase in sales of Han’s "We Do Not Part" (2021) compared to the day before the announcement, while "Human Acts" (2014) saw a 2,200-fold increase and "The Vegetarian" (2007) saw a 1,900-fold increase.

As of Sunday, Han’s books, both in Korean and in English translation, are dominating the top 15 positions in the bestseller categories on Kyobo’s online platform.

The surge in demand has spread across local e-commerce platforms, resulting in a significant rise in sales, according to industry sources.

Online at Gmarket, sales of "The Vegetarian" surged by over 800 percent from the previous week, along with other titles on the bestseller list. Currently, "The Vegetarian," along with "Human Acts" and "We Do Not Part" are available only on backorder, with fulfillment expected later this week.

SSG.com and 11Street saw their respective stock of Han’s works nearly sell out. Coupang, meanwhile, announced that Han’s books are out of stock, and the platform is now accepting reservations for delivery starting in November.

“The unexpected news of the Nobel Prize has triggered a rush among e-commerce bookstores to secure stock, with sales increasing by 600 to 700 times and, in some cases, by as much as 2,000 to 3,000 times,” said an official from a local e-commerce platform.

The soaring demand for Han’s titles has prompted department stores to prepare promotional events to attract customers.

Hyundai Department Store is planning special book curation sessions next month, featuring Han’s best-known works. With a professional curator, sessions will take place at four branches in Seoul, including its flagship Apgujeong main store. Additional cultural events, such as book readings and film screenings based on Han’s works, are also being planned.

Lotte Department Store is likewise to hold book readings focused on Han as part of its cultural experience sessions.