Han Kang and Yun Dongju Surpassed... Best-Selling Poetry Collection of the Past Decade

Taeju Na's 'I See You as Seeing a Flower' Becomes the Best-Selling Poetry Collection of the Past Decade
Followed by Works from Kim Yongtaek, Han Kang, Yoon Dongju, and Ryu Shi-hwa
Transcription Craze and Social Media Drive Rise in Teen and Young Adult Purchases

'I See You as Seeing a Flower' by poet Taeju Na has been counted as the best-selling poetry collection of the past decade.

Poet Taeju Na. The Asia Business Daily DB

On March 18, Yes24 announced that, after analyzing poetry sales data from the past ten years ahead of World Poetry Day on March 21, 'I See You as Seeing a Flower' ranked first as the top-selling poetry collection.

'I See You as Seeing a Flower', published in 2016, has long been a beloved steady seller among readers. It remained in the top 20 overall bestseller list for about five months and stayed within the top 50 in the fiction, poetry, and drama category for nine years and six months. It was also revealed to be the most purchased poetry book among all age groups, from teenagers to those in their forties.

In second place was 'Perhaps the Stars Will Take Away Your Sorrow' by poet Kim Yongtaek. This book maintained its steady popularity alongside a craze for handwritten transcription, and it ranked first in the overall bestseller chart for about two months.

The third spot went to Han Kang's first poetry collection, 'I Put the Evening in the Drawer'. After Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2024, sales of this collection surged, drawing renewed attention. It was also the poetry book most purchased by readers in their fifties, sixties, and older over the past decade.

Yes24 revealed the Top 5 best-selling poetry collections of the past 10 years ahead of World Poetry Day. (From left) Nataju's , Kim Yongtaek's , Han Kang's , Yun Dongju's , Ryoo Sihwa's . Photo by Yes24

Following these, 'Sky Wind Stars and Poetry' and 'Poems of Mindfulness' came next. Park Joon's 'I Took Your Name and Lived on It for a Few Days' ranked sixth, and Nietzsche's 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' was the only foreign poetry collection to make it into the top ten.

Changes in the poetry market were also evident among readers. While the poetry market has traditionally had a high proportion of middle-aged and older readers, there has recently been a clear influx of readers in their teens and twenties. The proportion of readers in their teens and twenties purchasing Korean poetry rose from 12.7% in 2020 to 19.6% in 2025, and for poetry overall, the figure increased from 11.7% to 19.2% during the same period.

The actual increase in purchases was also significant. As of 2025, poetry purchases by readers in their teens and twenties rose by 51.9% compared to the previous year, with purchases by teenagers alone soaring by 97.2%. From January 1 to March 12 of this year, poetry purchases by teenage readers also increased by 51.5% year-on-year.

The rise of young poets was also notable. Works such as 'Tomato Cup Ramen' by Cha Jeongeun and 'Shower Gel and Soda Water' by Ko Seongyeong attracted attention, and seven of the top 20 bestselling poetry books in 2025 were by young poets. The proportion of purchases by readers in their teens and twenties for these works was 43.2%, roughly double the overall average for poetry collections that year.

The effect of celebrity recommendations was also significant. After BTS member V introduced poet Jo Malseon's 'I Like That There Are Things I Cannot Understand' on his social media in February, sales of the collection surged by 450% compared to the previous month. Similarly, when singer Han Loro recommended Heo Yeon's 'Unruly Black Blood' and Yang Anda's 'Toward the Vanishing Point of the Forest' through her content, sales for each also increased significantly.

A Yes24 representative analyzed, "Poetry that is short yet resonates powerfully is gaining renewed attention through social media and cultural trends." They also observed, "With the continued rise of young poets and the influx of new readers, the poetry market's growth is expected to continue for some time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.