As the 21st presidential election campaign intensifies, readers’ interest in political books continues. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, has maintained the top position for two consecutive weeks with his book “The People Will Ultimately Do It.” According to Kyobo Bookstore’s overall bestseller rankings for the second week of May, announced on the 15th, the book remained stable in both physical and electronic sales.
The book “The Path Together Is Not Lonely,” which was published simultaneously, ranked 17th overall, while Lee Jae-myung’s previous work “My Diary as a Young Factory Worker” came in 26th, showing that “Lee Jae-myung books” are re-entering the charts amid the presidential election situation.
In the humanities and essays category, “Book of Youth” by writer Yoo Si-min and the essay collection “Light and Thread” by Han Kang, released after her Nobel Prize in Literature, maintained their positions at 2nd and 3rd overall, respectively. Choi Kang-wook, a former lawmaker’s new book “Beneficial Conservatism and Righteous Progressivism,” which deals with the history and justice of conservatives and progressives, entered the rankings at 6th upon release.
In the fiction category, Gu Byeong-mo’s novel “Breaking Up,” a rising screen seller, jumped 12 spots to 10th this week. Its popularity has surged along with the movie release, particularly among women in their 20s. “Shredding,” another recent work by the same author, newly entered the Korean fiction category at 13th.
The phenomenon of “reverse bestsellers” was also noted. Yang Gui-ja’s “I Wish For What’s Forbidden to Me” ranked 11th, and Choi Jin-young’s “Where the Sun Sets” was 20th in their respective categories, demonstrating the enduring strength of long-term steady sellers. This is analyzed as a result of continuous trust in author brands and word-of-mouth through social media.
This week’s bestseller ranking appears to be influenced by factors like the presidential election, movie releases, and new publications, attracting a variety of readers.
### Kyobo Bookstore’s Bestseller Ranking for the Second Week of May (Based on sales from May 7-13)
1. The People Will Ultimately Do It (Lee Jae-myung/Ohmybook)
2. Book of Youth (Yoo Si-min/Woongjin Knowledge House)
3. Light and Thread (Han Kang/Munhakdongne Publishing)
4. Usual Brothers 19 (Usual Brothers/Mirae N Iseum)
5. One Life (Kim Young-ha/Bogbog Bookstore)
6. Beneficial Conservatism and Righteous Progressivism (Choi Kang-wook/Han Kyerae Publishing)
7. Contradiction (Yang Gui-ja/Tsuda)
8. Human Acts (Han Kang/Changbi Publishers)
9. Stoner (John Williams/RH Korea)
10. Breaking Up (Gu Byeong-mo/Wisdom House)
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