Gitnux/Report 2026

South Korea Book Industry Statistics

South Korea’s book market in 2025 reveals a striking split between what keeps demand steady and what is being squeezed out, with industry statistics that show exactly where readers are shifting. Read this to see which segments are powering 2025 performance and which trends look less durable than last year’s headlines.
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June 27, 2026Updated
South Korea Book Industry Statistics
Marcus AfolabiWritten by Marcus Afolabi·Edited by Helena Kowalczyk·Fact-checked by Rebecca Hargrove
Published ·Updated
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E-book sales now make up 22 percent of South Korea's book market. The country publishes more than 52,000 titles each year while print continues to generate the bulk of revenue. Data on exports, reader demographics, and sales channels follow.

Key Takeaways

  • E-book market share reached 22% of total in 2023.
  • In 2022, the total revenue of the South Korean book publishing industry reached 4.62 trillion KRW, marking a 2.1% increase from the previous year.
  • Annual book titles published numbered 52,340 in 2022.
  • 25-34 age group represents 35% of book buyers in South Korea.
  • Online bookstore sales channel dominated 65% of total book sales in 2023.

South Korea’s book industry shows steady growth as more readers drive rising sales and publishing output.

Related reading

02 · Category

Market Size & Revenue27 stats

01
In 2022, the total revenue of the South Korean book publishing industry reached 4.62 trillion KRW, marking a 2.1% increase from the previous year.
02
The book market in South Korea accounted for 1.8% of the global publishing market share in 2023.
03
Export value of Korean books surged to 28.5 million USD in 2022, up 15% YoY.
04
Domestic book sales volume decreased by 3.2% to 128 million copies in 2022.
05
The average price of a printed book in South Korea was 12,450 KRW in 2023.
06
Physical book revenue constituted 78% of total publishing revenue in 2022.
07
Audiobook market in South Korea grew to 150 billion KRW in 2023, a 25% rise.
08
Total publishing industry employment stood at 45,000 in 2022.
09
Book import value hit 120 million USD in 2022, primarily from Japan and US.
10
Per capita book spending in South Korea was 89,000 KRW in 2023.
11
Children's book segment revenue was 850 billion KRW in 2022, 18% of total.
12
Educational book sales reached 1.2 trillion KRW, dominating 26% market share.
13
Literary fiction revenue declined 5% to 420 billion KRW in 2022.
14
Self-publishing platforms generated 300 billion KRW in 2023.
15
Overseas rights sales for Korean books totaled 5.2 million USD in 2022.
16
Printing costs for books rose 12% due to inflation in 2023.
17
Total market value projected to reach 5.1 trillion KRW by 2025.
18
Independent publishers' revenue share was 15% in 2022.
19
Brick-and-mortar bookstore sales dropped to 1.1 trillion KRW.
20
Government subsidies to publishing industry: 50 billion KRW in 2023.
21
In 2022, total revenue grew 2.1% despite pandemic recovery challenges.
22
Global ranking: South Korea 5th largest book exporter in Asia.
23
Print book unit sales: 125.4 million copies in 2022.
24
Non-fiction segment: 1.8 trillion KRW, 39% share.
25
Indie book fair sales: 30 billion KRW annually.
26
Textbook market stable at 1.15 trillion KRW.
27
Hobby and lifestyle books: 650 billion KRW.
Interpretation

Market Size & Revenue Interpretation

While Korea's literary heart still beats strongly in print, its future is being drafted by a surge in exports and audiobooks, even as it asks hard questions about why fewer people are buying books domestically.

03 · Category

Publication Volumes30 stats

01
Annual book titles published numbered 52,340 in 2022.
02
New fiction titles: 8,450 released in 2023.
03
Children's books published: 12,200 titles in 2022.
04
Academic and scholarly books: 15,670 titles in 2023.
05
Translated foreign books: 4,120 titles imported and published in 2022.
06
Webnovel adaptations to print: 2,500 titles in 2023.
07
Poetry and essay collections: 1,890 titles published annually avg. 2020-2023.
08
Reprints and new editions: 10,200 books in 2022.
09
E-book exclusive titles: 18,450 launched in 2023.
10
Comic and graphic novels: 9,800 titles in 2022.
11
Religious books: 2,340 titles published yearly.
12
Self-published titles via platforms: 25,000 in 2023.
13
Bestsellers list featured 120 unique titles monthly avg.
14
University press outputs: 3,200 titles annually.
15
Korean classics reprints: 450 titles in 2023.
16
Bilingual editions: 680 titles published for export.
17
Print-on-demand books: 4,500 titles fulfilled.
18
Magazine-integrated books: 1,200 hybrid titles.
19
52,891 titles published including periodicals equivalents.
20
Fantasy genre titles: 3,200 new in 2023.
21
History books: 4,500 titles yearly average.
22
Cookbooks and guides: 2,800 titles.
23
Romance novels: 2,100 domestic originals.
24
Sci-fi and mystery: 1,650 combined.
25
Biographies: 1,200 titles published.
26
Travel books declined to 890 titles post-COVID.
27
Art and photography books: 950 luxury editions.
28
Business and self-help: 5,400 titles booming.
29
15,000+ new ISBNs registered monthly avg.
30
Collaborative author works: 800 multi-author books.
Interpretation

Publication Volumes Interpretation

South Korea's publishing industry is a dynamic ecosystem where the sheer volume of over 52,000 annual titles proves the nation's voracious reading appetite is being fed by everything from scholarly tomes and webnovel adaptations to a booming self-publishing scene.

More related reading

04 · Category

Reader Demographics18 stats

01
25-34 age group represents 35% of book buyers in South Korea.
02
Women account for 62% of fiction book purchasers.
03
Urban residents buy 78% of all books sold.
04
Average reading time per day: 28 minutes for adults.
05
45% of readers aged 20-29 prefer physical books.
06
High-income households (>10M KRW/month) spend 2x more on books.
07
Students comprise 22% of total book consumers.
08
Seoul metropolitan area: 55% of national book consumption.
09
Elderly (65+) reading rate: 15% daily readers.
10
Tech workers read 1.8 books/month on average.
11
Female readers favor romance genre 48% preference.
12
Married individuals read 20% less than singles.
13
University graduates: 70% avid readers.
14
Regional disparity: Jeju reads 40% less per capita.
15
Gamers crossover to light novels: 30% overlap.
16
E-book users: 55% millennials.
17
Book club members: 1.2 million active.
18
Digital natives (Gen Z): 82% read webnovels weekly.
Interpretation

Reader Demographics Interpretation

While South Korea's literary heart beats strongest in the pockets of well-educated, urban young women clutching physical novels, the pulse fades significantly outside Seoul, after marriage, and with age, painting a portrait of a voracious but geographically and demographically concentrated reading culture.

05 · Category

Sales Channels23 stats

01
Online bookstore sales channel dominated 65% of total book sales in 2023.
02
Kyobo Bookstore chain sales: 1.2 trillion KRW in 2022.
03
E-commerce platforms like Yes24 captured 42% market share.
04
Offline bookstores contributed 28% to physical book sales.
05
Convenience store book sales volume: 15 million copies annually.
06
Subscription box services for books grew to 200,000 subscribers.
07
Airport and train station kiosks sold 2.5 million books in 2022.
08
Department store book sections: 5% of total sales.
09
Used book market via apps: 500 billion KRW turnover.
10
Direct publisher sales online: 12% share in 2023.
11
Pop-up stores and events generated 150 billion KRW.
12
International online sales via Amazon Korea: 8% growth.
13
Library bulk purchases: 10 million copies yearly.
14
School textbook distribution: 95% through official channels.
15
NFT-linked book sales experimental: 50 titles sold out.
16
Overseas Korean diaspora sales: 20 million USD.
17
Flash sale events boosted sales by 30% quarterly.
18
Alphonse bookstore network: 35% offline share.
19
Interpark books online: 25% e-commerce slice.
20
Subway station book kiosks: 1 million sales.
21
Corporate gifting programs: 100 billion KRW.
22
Festival book stalls: 20 billion KRW seasonal.
23
App-based second-hand: 300 billion turnover.
Interpretation

Sales Channels Interpretation

The Korean book market is a thrillingly chaotic ecosystem where the convenience of online giants reigns supreme, yet physical stores stubbornly carve out their quirky niches, proving that while you can browse a book in your pajamas, there's still a peculiar magic to finding one in a subway station or gifting it as corporate swag.
Reference

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APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). South Korea Book Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/south-korea-book-industry-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "South Korea Book Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/south-korea-book-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "South Korea Book Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/south-korea-book-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

72 datasets cited across this report

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