Celebrated South Korean author Han Kang, the nation’s inaugural Nobel laureate in literature, has firmly established herself as the most commercially successful writer of the past decade. Her acclaimed novels secured the top two positions on a comprehensive 10-year cumulative bestseller list, meticulously compiled by the leading bookstore chain, Kyobo Book Center.
Data released on Sunday confirmed that Han Kang’s “The Vegetarian” and “Human Acts” achieved the first and second ranks, respectively, in total sales spanning the decade from April 17, 2016, to April 16, 2026. These impressive rankings encompass both online and offline sales figures, reflecting their widespread appeal.
First published in 2007, “The Vegetarian” propelled Han Kang onto the global literary stage, especially after she became the first Korean author to win the prestigious Man Booker International Prize in 2016. This significant victory ignited a remarkable surge in domestic readership, leading the novel to dominate weekly bestseller charts for an impressive 12 consecutive weeks and earning it the title of best-selling book of that year.
Almost a decade later, Han Kang’s readership experienced a profound second wave of interest, catalyzed by her historic receipt of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2024—a monumental first for any Korean author. This renewed momentum was notably spearheaded by “Human Acts,” her powerful 2014 novel, which compellingly recounts the Gwangju Democratic Uprising of 1980. “Human Acts” subsequently soared to become the nation’s annual bestseller in both 2024 and 2025.
A Kyobo official highlighted that while “The Vegetarian” maintains its lead in cumulative sales, largely attributed to its initial surge post-Booker Prize win, “Human Acts” has demonstrably surpassed it in sales performance during more recent years.
Han Kang’s significant literary influence extended further down the bestseller compilation. Her 2021 novel, “We Do Not Part,” a poignant exploration of the Jeju April 3 Incident, secured the eighth position over the decade. Its success was significantly bolstered by international accolades, including the prestigious Prix Medicis Etranger in 2023 and the U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award, presented this year.
Remarkably, six of the top 10 bestsellers were Korean novels, vividly underscoring the robust domestic appetite for local fiction. Other notable Korean titles within this esteemed ranking include Kim Ho-yeon’s “The Second Chance Convenience Store,” Lee Mi-ye’s “DallerGut Dream Department Store,” and Yang Gui-ja’s “Contradictions,” collectively occupying the fifth through seventh spots.
Nonfiction titles also garnered significant attention, making a prominent appearance on the list. The impactful self-help book, “Say No’s Teachings,” secured the third position, closely followed by Lee Ki-ju’s evocative essay collection, “The Temperature of Language,” which ranked fourth. Kim Soo-hyun’s “I Decided to Live as Me” achieved ninth place, while the beloved “Winnie-the-Pooh: Happy Things Happen Every Day” charmingly completed the top 10.
Paradoxically, despite these literary successes, overall reading habits within South Korea continue to exhibit a concerning decline. A national reading survey conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed a stark decrease: the proportion of adults reading at least one general book annually (excluding textbooks, exam preparation materials, magazines, and comics) plummeted from 67.4 percent in 2015 to just 38.5 percent last year.
These compelling findings starkly illuminate a significant paradox within Korea’s contemporary literary landscape: while a select handful of authors attain monumental blockbuster success and widespread global recognition, the broader public’s overall reading engagement is, regrettably, diminishing.
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