From Han Kang to "Hyeonamdong Bookstore": 3.58 Million Copies of Korean Literature Sold Overseas in Five Years

Overseas Sales of Supported Korean Titles (2021–2025)

1,026 Titles Backed by the Translation Institute Sold in 40 Language Regions, Annual Overseas Sales Top 1.2 Million Copies for Second Consecutive Year

“We Do Not Part” Leads with 300,000

Interest in Korean literature, which soared after Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in Literature, is not just a temporary phenomenon but is leading to an expanded overseas readership. Last year, overseas sales of Korean literature in translation reached 1,197,557 copies, an increase of 228 copies compared to 2024 and a new all-time high. While the increase in sales was not substantial, it is significant that sales remained consistently high at around 1.2 million copies for two consecutive years before and after the Nobel Prize award.

Author Han Kang is holding a meeting with Korean reporters in Avignon, France, on the 15th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced on the 28th that between 2021 and 2025, 1,026 books supported for translation and publication were sold in about 3.58 million copies across 40 language regions overseas. This figure is up by 900,000 copies from 2.68 million cumulative sales reported in the same survey last year. However, the 3.58 million figure only accounts for books published overseas with the institute’s support, not the total overseas sales of all Korean literature.

The best-selling work was Han Kang's “We Do Not Part.” From 2023 to last year, about 300,000 copies were sold in 13 countries including the United Kingdom and France. This accounts for about 8% of the total sales surveyed. Although this title overwhelmingly claimed the top spot as a single work, more than 90% of sales were distributed among various writers and titles. The global interest Han Kang has garnered seems to have broadened the overall foundation for Korean literature’s overseas sales.

Sales were not concentrated only on a few popular titles. Last year, there were 50 translated books that each sold more than 5,000 copies overseas; among these, 28 titles surpassed 10,000 copies. Seven titles—including the English edition of Han Kang's “Greek Lessons,” the Russian edition of Son Wonpyung’s “The Dignified Fox Tail 1: The Spooky Mission Camp,” and the Spanish version of Kim Kum-Sook’s “Grass”—sold more than 4,000 copies each year for three consecutive years from 2023. This means that, beyond the short-lived success of new titles, Korean literary steady sellers that are read consistently are emerging across multiple languages.

So-called “healing novels,” which tell stories of comfort and solidarity against the backdrop of everyday spaces such as bookstores and convenience stores, have also been chosen by overseas readers. Hwang Borum's “Welcome to Huenam-dong Bookstore” sold about 88,000 copies across six translated editions, while Kim Hoyoun's “The Uncomfortable Convenience Store” sold about 66,000 copies across nine editions. Yoo Youngkwang’s “A Shop That Opens When It Rains,” published in English in 2024, sold about 16,000 copies in two years. Works that originate in distinctly Korean settings but address universal themes of rest and restoring relationships are attracting readers beyond language barriers.

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea reviews publication plans from foreign publishers based on local reader demand to provide support for translation and publication. It also helps domestic publishers and agencies prepare copyright export materials and facilitates meetings with overseas publishers. Starting this year, the institute launched the “Korean Literature Global Expansion Package Support Project,” which connects copyright export, translation, publication, local promotion, and critical reviews in a long-term, integrated manner.

Jeon Suyong, President of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, said, “The fact that overseas sales have maintained 1.2 million copies for two consecutive years and that the number of supported published books has surpassed 1,000 over the past five years shows that the global spread of Korean literature is not a temporary phenomenon but is being achieved on a sustainable readership base.”

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