Books sold out due to news of the Nobel Prize in Literature… More than 300,000 copies sold daily online and offline
Foreign media heaps praise on “Korea’s Kafka”
Han River: “What kind of party can we have in the midst of war?” Instead of holding a conference, I decided to express my thoughts at an awards ceremony.
As novelist Han Kang (54) became the first Korean writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, the ‘Han River Syndrome’ is sweeping the world. Domestic bookstores enjoyed a special opportunity for a long time, with ‘open run’ and ‘sold out crisis’ taking place in the morning, and the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), who are accustomed to video culture, held a ‘Han River Book Certification Challenge’ procession on social network services (SNS). I continued. As foreign media outlets heap praise on the Han River, calling it “Korea’s (Franz) Kafka,” the ‘Han River sensation’ is blowing through overseas bookstores in Japan, the United States, and Europe.
From the evening of the 10th to the 11th, when the Swedish Academy announced the Nobel Prize in Literature, Han Kang’s books swept the bestseller lists of major domestic bookstores such as Kyobo Bookstore and Yes24, selling more than 300,000 copies. On the 11th, the 1st to 9th bestsellers on Kyobo Bookstore’s website were all works by Han Kang, including ‘The Vegetarian’, ‘The Boy Is Coming’, and ‘No Goodbye’, and the 1st to 11th places on Yes24’s ranking were all Han Kang’s works.
An official at Kyobo Bookstore said, “Books were sold out in the morning, so we urgently sent them to the Gwanghwamun store, but even those have run out, so additional stock is needed next Monday.” In online bookstores, most of Han Kang’s books are labeled as ‘pre-order’. Coupang also ran out of stock of major works such as ‘The Vegetarian’ around 9 PM on the 10th, so pre-ordered works can only be received on the 1st of next month. An official in the distribution industry said, “Sales of Han Kang’s works are surging by as much as 3,000 times,” adding, “Online and offline bookstores are in a war to secure book volumes.”
The ‘Han River Storm’ is blowing in overseas online bookstores as well. On Amazon, which holds more than 50% of the U.S. book market, ‘The Vegetarian’ ranked first in literature and 10th overall, and at Tangdangwang, China’s largest online bookstore, and on German and French Amazon sites, ‘Vegetarian’ was also ranked ‘Vegetarian’ for 24 hours. It ranked first in the list of ‘most sold books’. In the German Amazon rankings, all positions from 1st to 8th were filled with Han Kang’s works.
Novelist Han Seung-won, Han Kang’s father, met with reporters at his home in Jangheung, Jeollanam-do on the morning of the 11th and said, “(My daughter) said, “The wars between Russia, Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine are fierce, and bodies are being carried out every day, so what kind of party can we have? We decided not to hold a press conference.” “They said they did it,” he said. Han Kang decided not to hold a press conference regarding winning the Nobel Prize, and said he would reveal his detailed thoughts at the Nobel Prize ceremony held in Stockholm, Sweden on December 10. Han Kang conveyed this position through the publisher around 10 PM on the same day, saying, “I was surprised when I first received a call informing me of the award, and after I hung up the phone, I slowly felt a sense of reality and emotion,” and added, “Thank you for selecting me as the winner. “I was also surprised by the amount of warm congratulatory messages that came like huge waves throughout the day,” he said.
‘Vegetarian’ ranks first in sales in the U.S., China, and China… SNS ‘Han River Book Certification’ craze
Global ‘Han River Syndrome’
Sweeping the top 10 bestsellers in Korea… I went to a used bookstore to collect the first edition.
Japan’s largest bookstore prepares a special sales section… MZ generation ‘challenge’ procession, including fan certification
“I came from Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, to get at least one book by author Han Kang.”
University student Kim Won-jun (24) said this as he entered the Gangnam branch of Kyobo Bookstore in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 11th. The bookstore was already crowded with office workers who came to buy Han Kang’s books during their lunch hour. When a bundle of Han Kang’s books was delivered and placed on an empty stand that had been sold out the day before, a line about 15 meters long formed next to the stand even before the twine was undone. However, many of the 200 newly displayed books, including ‘Here Comes a Boy’ and ‘White’, were sold out in less than 30 minutes, and many people, including Mr. Kim, had to turn away.
● Go to a used bookstore to collect the ‘first edition’
Many readers also turned to used bookstores. In particular, some citizens visited used bookstores to own Han Kang’s ‘first edition’ books. Kang Hye-jin (23), a graduate student, said, “With the Nobel Prize winning opportunity, I came to secure the old edition before the ‘revised edition’ comes out,” adding, “I think it is proof that I live in the same era as Han Kang, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature.”
According to bookstores on the 11th, over 300,000 copies of Han Kang’s book were sold at Kyobo Bookstore, Yes24, and Aladdin on the 10th and 11th. From 8 p.m. on the 10th to the afternoon of the 11th, more than 103,000 copies were sold at Kyobo Bookstore, 118,000 copies at Yes24, and more than 70,000 copies at Aladdin. The market share of the three bookstores is about 90%.
The response from overseas readers is also enthusiastic. At the Shinjuku main branch of Kinokuniya Bookstore, the largest bookstore in Tokyo, Japan, a special sales stand was set up with a promotional slogan that read, “Han Kang is the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature.” On this morning, most translated versions of representative works such as ‘The Vegetarian’ and ‘No Goodbye’ were sold, with only a few English translations remaining. Some customers visited the special corner but turned away without being able to get a book. Yuji Yoshino, deputy manager of Kinokuniya Bookstore, said, “Korean literature is naturally very popular in Japan, so the response was enthusiastic compared to other Nobel Literature Prize announcements.” The Strand Bookstore in New York, USA, known as the world’s largest used bookstore, set up a special stand displaying Han Kang’s books and introduced them on its official social network service (SNS).
● ‘Han River Book Certification’ SNS challenge
Han Kang’s alma mater, Yonsei University, is in a festive mood. On this day, a banner celebrating Han Kang’s award was hung at the Yonsei University campus in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, and a fierce competition for lending was taking place at the library, with reservations for Han Kang’s books closed due to the influx of student applications.
Humanities students across the country celebrated, calling it a ‘great achievement for a liberal arts student.’ On social media, reactions were posted, emphasizing that he was a ‘humanities student’ who graduated from Yonsei University’s Department of Korean Literature, and saying, “As of today, the use of ‘Moonsong’ is prohibited,” and “The liberal arts department will win.” ‘I’m sorry’ means ‘I’m sorry for being a liberal arts major,’ and is an expression used by humanities students to ridicule themselves for their difficulties in getting a job.
A ‘SNS Challenge’ procession was held to prove one’s fandom for the Han River or by taking a photo of a book on the Han River. Lee Yoon-jae (22), a college student, said, “There was talk of making a bet on social media to see who would read more of Han Kang’s works.” An online post that introduced Han Kang’s works in the past and said, “I think there can be a Nobel Prize in Literature in Korea,” was followed by a comment saying, “I came to make a pilgrimage.” There were many readers who copied their favorite passages from Han Kang’s novels and posted them on social media.
Reporter Seo Ji-won wish@donga.com
Reporter Sa Ji-won 4g1@donga.com
Reporter Eunji Kim eunji@donga.com
Tokyo = Correspondent Lee Sang-hoon sanghun@donga.com