The book market in the first half of 2026 was dominated by literature and investment titles. Novels that gained renewed attention through films, television, and YouTube swept the best-seller charts, while investment books continued to enjoy steady popularity amid a booming stock market.
According to Yes24, the top-selling book of the first half of the year was Andy Weir's "Project Hail Mary," which saw a surge in sales following the release of its film adaptation in March.
Sales of the book increased approximately 58 times (5731.7%) compared to the same period last year after the film's debut. This marks the first time since 2014, when "The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared" topped the annual sales, that a foreign novel has reached the number one spot on Yes24's overall sales list.
The strength of novels was particularly evident, with five titles making it into the overall top ten, including "Project Hail Mary" (1st), "Goethe Said It All" (2nd), "I Said Goodbye" (3rd), "Grapefruit Peach Club" (9th), and "Contradiction" (10th). Both domestic and international literary works received equal recognition from readers.
Notably, works that appealed to younger readers also made the best-seller list. "Grapefruit Peach Club" by singer and author Han Ro-ro ranked 9th, with 32.7% of its readers in their 20s. Yang Gwi-ja's "Contradiction" has seen a continuous increase in sales over the past three years, securing the 10th spot in the first half of this year, with 41.4% of its buyers aged 20 to 30.
The thriving stock market also influenced book sales. With the KOSPI reaching record highs, investment titles like "Stock Investment for Progress" climbed to 5th place overall.
In other categories, social issues impacted sales. The posthumous memoir of former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, published in 2022, saw a staggering increase in sales of about 1,600 times compared to the same period last year, landing it in 4th place overall and 1st in the social and political category.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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