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 Copies Sold in 13 Countries... 50 Titles Surpass 5,000 Copies Last Year

Interest in Korean literature, which soared with Han Kang's receipt of the Nobel Prize in Literature, is not just a temporary phenomenon but is being translated into an expanding overseas readership. In the previous year, overseas sales of Korean literature in translation reached 1,197,557 copies—an increase of 228 copies from 2024—setting a new all-time high. Although the growth was modest, the significance lies in maintaining a robust sales level of around 1.2 million copies for two consecutive years, before and after the Nobel 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 July 28 that from 2021 to 2025, a total of 1,026 titles supported for translation and publication had sold about 3.58 million copies across 40 language regions overseas. This marks an increase of 900,000 copies from the cumulative sales of 2.68 million announced in a similar survey last year. However, the 3.58 million figure refers only to books published overseas with support from the institute and does not represent total overseas sales of all Korean literature.

The best-selling title was Han Kang’s “We Do Not Part.” From 2023 through the previous year, about 300,000 copies were sold in 13 countries, including the UK and France. This accounts for approximately 8% of all sales surveyed. While the book’s single-title performance is overwhelming, more than 90% of total sales were distributed among a variety of authors and titles. Thus, while Han Kang heightened global attention, the foundation for international sales of Korean literature appears to have broadened as well.

Sales were not concentrated on just a few high-profile works. Last year, 50 translated Korean titles each sold more than 5,000 copies overseas, of which 28 exceeded 10,000 copies sold. Seven titles—including the English version of Han Kang’s “Greek Lessons,” the Russian edition of Son Won-pyeong’s “Vivid Fox Tail 1 - Chilling Mission Camp,” and the Spanish version of Kim Geumsook’s “Grass”—each sold over 4,000 copies annually for three consecutive years starting in 2023. Beyond the short-lived success of new releases, several steady-selling Korean literary works have taken root across different language markets.

So-called “healing novels,” which explore comfort and solidarity in everyday settings like bookstores and convenience stores, were also popular among international readers. Hwang Boreum’s “Welcome to Hyeonamdong Bookstore” sold about 88,000 copies across six translated editions, while Kim Hoyeon’s “Convenience Store with Discomforts” sold about 66,000 copies across nine translations. The English edition of Yoo Young-kwang’s “The Shop That Opens When It Rains,” released in 2024, sold about 16,000 copies in two years. Works that begin in distinctly Korean settings but express universal emotions of rest and relational healing have found readers across language barriers.

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea evaluates publishing plans set by foreign publishers based on local reader demand and supports translation and publication while also assisting Korean publishers and literary agencies in preparing copyright export materials and facilitating consultations with overseas publishers. As of this year, the institute has launched a “Korean Literature Overseas Expansion Package Support Project,” which offers multi-year integrated support for copyright exports, translation/publication, local marketing, and critical review.

Jeon Sooyong, President of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, stated, “Maintaining overseas sales of 1.2 million copies for two consecutive years and surpassing 1,000 supported titles published over the past five years demonstrates that the overseas expansion of Korean literature is not a temporary trend but is being achieved on a sustainable reader base.”

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