Celebrities spark reading boom among young Koreans

Celebrity-endorsed books are driving a surge in sales and fueling a reading trend among young Koreans.

“Honmono,” by author Sung Hae-na. (Changbi)

“Honmono,” a short story collection by author Sung Hae-na, rose to the top of bestseller charts following a recommendation by actor Park Jeong-min. The book held the top spot on both Yes24 and Kyobo Bookstore’s overall weekly bestseller lists for the third week of July 2025, maintaining its ranking for three consecutive weeks on Yes24 and four weeks on Kyobo. It is the first novel to top Korea’s overall bestseller list this year since a novel by Nobel laureate Han Kang.

Publisher Changbi said the book has now hit its 15th priinting, with 205,000 copies sold, attributing the surge in sales to Park’s endorsement and strong word-of-mouth momentum.

Another title tied to Park’s influence, “My First Summer, Wanju” by Kim Keum-hee, published by Park’s own imprint Muze, jumped to third place on Kyobo’s weekly bestseller list last week, underscoring his growing impact.

According to the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea, “Honmono” was also the best-selling book in the domestic market in June 2025, driven by the success of the Seoul International Book Fair and Park’s influence as a publisher-actor amid a growing “text-hip” trend.

“Buddha’s Words,” by Koike Ryunosuke. (Forest Books)

Alongside Park, Jang Won-young, a member of the Korean pop group IVE, is emerging as another influential figure in publishing. Known for her positive attitude and avid reading habits, Jang’s recommendation of “Buddha’s Words,” the Korean translation of a book by Koike Ryunosuke and published by Forest Books, sparked a sharp turnaround in the title’s declining sales earlier this year.

“The readership for liberal arts and philosophy books is typically in their 40s, but Jang’s recommendation quickly expanded the audience to readers in their 20s,” a Forest Books official said. The book, originally published in June 2023, sold 80,000 copies that year and another 150,000 in the first half of this year. With strong support from women in their 20s and 30s, it topped the e-book category on online platform Millie’s Library during the first half of 2025.

Observers credit the influence of Park and Jang to their perceived authenticity. “Sales do not rise simply because a celebrity recommends a book. The recommendation needs to feel genuine to have real impact,” the Forest Books official added.

Park has long been active in the publishing scene, previously running an independent bookstore and more recently founding his own publishing house. At the Seoul International Book Fair that took place in June 2025, he ran a booth himself, interacting directly with readers. Bookstore displays now feature titles promoted as “Park Jeong-min’s recommended reads.”

Industry insiders say the actor and pop star have amplified a trend among readers in their 20s and 30s who view reading as fashionable, and many in the publishing industry hope this celebrity-driven attention will continue to draw younger audiences to bookstores.

Some observers, however, worry the industry is becoming increasingly reliant on celebrity endorsements as it struggles with overall market decline. The “star-seller” phenomenon, where bestseller rankings shift dramatically due to celebrity recommendations, has become more pronounced in recent years. In 2024, books such as the Korean translation of “All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me” by Patrick Bringley and “Reading Schopenhauer at Forty” by Kang Yong-soo, recommended by critic Lee Dong-jin and actor Ha Seok-jin respectively, dominated bestseller charts for extended periods.

The trend of celebrities recommending books and posting about reading on social media is seen as both an effort to cultivate a more intellectual image and as a reflection of the broader cultural shift among young Koreans, who are increasingly see reading as stylish.