VOL.93/2026.04

Heading into 2026: Comparing the Combined

Bestseller Lists of Korea’s Three Major Online Bookstores
for the 2nd week of December, 2025

2026.01.05

There is a saying that time does not simply pass?it accumulates. Even when daily routines feel repetitive or unremarkable, the experiences we encounter continue to pile up, quietly shaping our lives. For those who look back on 2025 with a hint of regret, it offers comfort; for those who have been running without pause, it feels like encouragement. Throughout 2025, the publishing world moved forward through the quiet, persistent labor of those who worked to create each book, building their efforts piece by piece. Looking ahead to 2026 with the hope that this dedication will yield even greater rewards, let’s take a look at the bestseller list for the last month of 2025.
Topping the bestsellers in the final month of 2025 was Minimal Korean History, an introductory and condensed guide to the enduring East Asian classic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The book is the latest release by Choi Tae-Sung, widely known as Korea’s most influential history instructor. For readers who may have hesitated to approach the original work due to its sheer volume and vast cast of characters, this book distills the essential events and figures into a single, accessible volume. In many ways, it reflects a broader era defined by compression and simplification. While Honmono and Cutting Wound continue to hold steady positions on the literary bestseller list, two essay titles that rose to prominence last month?Adult Happiness Is Quiet and Dignity of Adults?have expanded their reach by entering the overall bestseller rankings. At No. 10 was Independent Newsroom: Independent, Together, published by the Korea Independent Newsroom Network (KINN), a collaborative alliance formed by independent media outlets. The book documents the real experiences of these organizations, tracing the trial-and-error process of launching independent newsrooms and exploring the strengths of solidarity-based collaboration in independent journalism.
Seasonal shifts were clearly reflected in the healthcare and hobbies category. Titles such as Hyeon-Jin’s Handwriting Guide, Soobni’s Knitting: Hand-Knit Clothes for Dogs, and Nordic Motif Knitting (Complete Edition) ranked first, second, and fifth, respectively?suggesting a growing preference for indoor activities like practicing handwriting or creating warm knitted pieces during the colder months. Meanwhile, the third and fourth spots were claimed by photobooks celebrating the LG Twins and the Hanwha Eagles, the champion and runner-up of the 2025 Korean Series. After years of struggle, the Hanwha Eagles’ return to the finals?backed by their passionate fan base?made the 2025 baseball season feel especially intense and memorable. As a result, fans following the heated offseason market may be hoping more than anyone that the winter of 2026 passes quickly, ushering in a new season of play.

* The rank of bestsellers below was organized after integrating domestic bestsellers in the second week of December from the three biggest online bookstores in Korea ? Kyobo Book Centre, Aladin, and Yes 24.

Top 10 bestsellers for the 2nd week of December
1		Minimal Korean History Author│Choi Tae-Sung Publisher│Front Page Genre│Humanities
2		Trend Korea 2026 Author│Kim Nan-Do and 11 others Publisher│Mirae Books Genre│Business
3		Goethe Said It All Author│Yui Suzuki Publisher│Leaf Book Genre│Japanese Fiction
4		Park Gom-Hee’s Lesson on Getting Rich on Annuities (special edition commemorating 100 thousand copies sold) Author│Park Gom-Hee Publisher│Influential Genre│Business
5		Adult Happiness is Quiet Author│Taesoo Publisher│Page 2 Books Genre│Non-fiction
5		Honmono Author│Sung Hae-Na Publisher│Changbi Publishers Genre│Fiction
7		Cutting Wound Author│Koo Byung-Mo Publisher│Munhakdongne Publishing Genre│Fiction
7		Against Interpretation Author│Susan Sontag Publisher│Willbook Genre│Humanities
9		Dignity of Adults Author│Choi Seo-Young Publisher│Book Romance Genre│Non-fiction
10		Independent Newsroom: Independent, Together Author│Korea Independent Newsroom Network (KINN) Publisher│NewsTapa Genre│Politics & Society

 

Top 5 Books on Healthcare and Hobbies for the 2nd week of December
1		Hyeon-Jin’s Handwriting Guide Author│Park Hyeon-Jin Publisher│Vita Books
2		Soobni’s Knitting’s Hand-Knit Clothes for Dogs Author│Soobni’s Knitting Publisher│Jeu Media
3		Invincible LG: Special Photobook Celebrating V4 Author│The Sports Seoul Editors, Milal Book Editors Publisher│Milal Books
4		Hanwha Eagles: Magnificent Support! Soaring to New Heights! Author│The Sports Seoul Editors, Milal Book Editors Publisher│Milal Books
5		Nordic Motif Knitting (Complete Edition) Author│applemints Publisher│Jeu Media