A Novel Once with Only Three Readers, Now 1.1 Million Copies Worldwide... Hwang Boreum Says, "I Wrote to Console Myself"

"Welcome to Hyunamdong Bookstore" Published in 35 Languages, Over 50 Countries
About 70% of Copies Sold Overseas; 300,000 in English, 200,000 in Turkish
"A Story of Those Who Strayed from the Path to Success"
Word of Mouth Turns It into a Global Million-Seller

"This book healed me in just a few days."

Author Hwang Boreum is speaking at a press conference held on the 2nd at Conference House Dalgabi in Jung-gu, Seoul, celebrating the sale of 1 million copies worldwide of her novel Welcome to Hyunam-dong Bookstore. Clayhouse

On the 2nd, at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, novelist Hwang Boreum introduced a message she received from a 27-year-old reader in Madrid, Spain. She shared that ever since the book was published overseas, she receives messages like this every single day. The messages say things like "I was comforted," "I gained courage," and "My life changed."

Eight years ago, this novel had only three readers. Hwang printed her manuscript and gave out three copies to family members and friends. She didn’t even imagine it would be published. Now, her novel "Welcome to Hyunamdong Bookstore" has sold 1,108,000 copies worldwide.

At the press conference held that day to celebrate surpassing one million accumulated sales globally, Hwang remarked, "When I first started writing the novel in 2018, I never imagined this work would actually be published." She added, "At a certain point, I started living with the mindset that these things weren’t just happening to me, but rather were happening to my novel 'Hyunamdong Bookstore,' and tried to maintain some distance from it."

"Hyunamdong Bookstore" has now been published in 35 languages across more than 50 countries, including Korean. Remarkably, overseas sales have outpaced domestic sales. According to the publisher Clayhouse, Korean and overseas sales account for about 30% and 70%, respectively, of total copies sold.

Both the Korean and English editions have each sold more than 300,000 copies. The Turkish edition has also surpassed 200,000. The Brazilian Portuguese version sold over 100,000 copies, while the Spanish, Polish, and Japanese editions each exceeded 30,000 in sales. The French and Russian editions both exceeded 20,000 copies. The publisher estimates actual sales are likely higher, as figures for some countries have yet to be finalized.

The novel was not created from the outset with the goal of becoming a "global bestseller." Hwang majored in computer engineering and worked as a software developer at LG Electronics for about seven years. After turning 30, she quit her job to become a full-time writer. Although she wrote essays and knocked on doors at publishing houses, her manuscripts were repeatedly rejected, and the books that did get published failed to make much impact.

Looking back on that time, Hwang said, "From the outside, my life probably looked like a failure." She quit a stable job and was writing at home, not making proper income. "It may have seemed irresponsible and far from success, but I actually loved that life."

The story she wrote then eventually became "Hyunamdong Bookstore." It's about Youngju, who runs a small bookstore in a residential neighborhood in Seoul, and the various people who come and go—each carrying their own wounds and fatigue, slowly regaining the rhythm of life. She wrote the novel in an intensive burst over three to four months.

Hwang Boreum, author of the novel Welcome to Hyunamdong Bookstore, is speaking at a press conference held on the 2nd at the Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul, celebrating the sale of one million copies worldwide. Clayhouse

Hwang explained, "The novel features people who have either strayed from the path of success or wanted to get on it but never managed to. By showing their lives going well in their own ways, I think I was also trying to console myself that my life could turn out that way, too."

The completed manuscript stayed on her laptop for a while. After she printed three copies to share with people close to her, she serialized the novel on the online writing platform Brunch in 2019. Later, the project was selected for an e-book publication initiative run by Brunch and Millie’s Library. The book first reached readers as an e-book in 2021, and the independent publisher Clayhouse released the print edition in 2022.

From that point on, unexpected things happened. Word of mouth among readers in Korea led to overseas publication rights sales, and the English edition became a hit, rapidly broadening the market. In 2024, it was voted No. 1 in the translated fiction category of Japan’s Booksellers’ Award, bringing recognition among Japanese readers as well.

Yoon Seonghun, CEO of Clayhouse, emphasized that the book’s international success did not rely on a specific country or a single literary award. He noted, "It's significant that sales were not concentrated in any particular country or language region but spread evenly across various areas around the world." He explained that word-of-mouth praise from local publishers and readers abroad played a key role in expanding sales.

The global popularity of so-called "healing novels" or "feel-good fiction" already established in the international market also played a part. Works like Japan’s "Days at the Morisaki Bookshop" became popular globally, and the demand for Asian fiction with a similar emotional tone increased. "Hyunamdong Bookstore" was discovered during this trend.

However, Hwang is careful not to have her work read only as a novel that simply offers gentle reassurances that "things will get better." She said she has mixed feelings about the label "healing novel." While it may be misunderstood as a book offering easy comfort, it can also serve as an entryway for people who do not usually read fiction to pick up a book.

The characters in "Hyunamdong Bookstore" do not simply offer warm words to each other. Issues such as precarious work, burnout, the pressure to succeed, and questions around money and work—difficult questions that many face today—enter the bookstore. CEO Yoon said this social context is why the message of comfort in the story could cross borders so effectively.

Interestingly, there was little difference between the comfort crafted in Korea and the comfort perceived by international readers. Hwang commented, "It is fascinating that the feedback from overseas readers is not much different from Korean readers; many people say they found it a warm story about people caring for each other."

The book’s success has also changed the publisher. Clayhouse, which started as a one-person company in 2021, now has a team of five including its CEO. After "Hyunamdong Bookstore," the publisher began curating a catalog with international readers in mind from the very beginning, not just focusing on the Korean market.

Hwang herself published her second novel, "The Upstairs Couple," this year after "Hyunamdong Bookstore." Even before its Korean release, the rights had been sold to 15 countries. The success of her first novel brought pressure for subsequent works.

In the end, she said she returned to her roots: writing the stories she wanted to read, rather than calculating the size of her audience. "If you keep worrying about those things, you end up not being able to write anything. I decided again: ‘Let’s just write the stories I want to read.’"

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