Han Kang’s novel We Do Not Part won the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) award on March 27, fueling renewed interest in the author and a sharp jump in sales.
Online bookseller Yes24 said sales of the title rose 407% from 9 a.m. to noon after the award news broke, compared with the previous day’s total. Kyobo Book Centre reported sales were up 4.4 times as of 2 p.m., compared with the day before.
The surge also reshaped bestseller lists. On Yes24, the book climbed to No. 5 on the real-time “Korean books” chart and No. 2 in the “novels, poetry and plays” category. After the NBCC selected the English edition translated by Lee Yewon and Paige Morris, the U.S. edition also rose to No. 6 on Yes24’s real-time “foreign books” list. On Kyobo’s real-time bestseller list, the title ranked No. 4.
A Yes24 official said, “Following the Nobel Prize in Literature, another global award has kept readers’ interest going,” adding that demand is also rising among readers who want to read the work in English.
The official added that it was “the first win for a Korean-language original novel,” and the second such achievement for a Korean author since poet Kim Hye-soon won in the poetry category in 2024 for Wing Phantom Pain.
Publishers said Han’s latest award could keep interest in literature elevated for some time, with expectations that momentum will lift the broader fiction market. Kyobo said Han’s novel Human Acts was the overall bestseller No. 1 for two straight years in 2024 and 2025.
Major bookstores rolled out promotions. Kyobo is running an event that will select 100 members who leave congratulatory messages and give each a 1,000-won Kyobo e-gift certificate. Yes24 said it will offer gifts, including a hardcover notebook made with the award-winning book’s cover illustration, to customers who buy Han’s works during a congratulatory comment event, and will also select 300 members who leave comments to receive YES points.
Readers posted reactions such as, “Thank you to Han Kang for bringing good news in an anxious time marked by war,” and “Good writing is recognized by everyone.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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