South Korea's poetry bestseller Na Tae-joo's flower-themed volume tops Korea's market, cross-generational appeal.

Seoul — A domestic survey by Yes24 shows that the best-selling poetry collection in South Korea over the past decade is Na Tae-joo’s flower-themed volume, 꽃을 보듯 너를 본다, translated here as “I Look at You as If You Were a Flower.” The book was released in 2015 and has become a standout in the Korean poetry market.

According to Yes24 data, the work spent 20 weeks in the top 20 of the overall bestsellers list, setting a record for poetry titles in terms of sustained sales within the Korean market. The sales performance underscores how a poetry title can achieve broad visibility in a competitive book market dominated by fiction and non-fiction.

The collection also drew readers across generations. The data indicate it ranked No. 1 among readers from teenagers to those in their 40s, suggesting a rare cross-generational appeal for a poetry book in Korea.

In second place is Kim Yong-taek’s poetry collection, “Perhaps the Stars Will Take Your Sorrow Away.” The third position went to Han Kang’s work, “I Put Dinner in the Drawer” (서랍에 저녁을 넣어 두었다). These titles represent a mix of contemporary Korean poetry by established and rising voices.

For readers outside Korea, the results illuminate a broader point: poetry can achieve mainstream, cross-age appeal in a major publishing market, not just niche interest. This has implications for international audiences and publishers looking to translate Korean poetry for new markets, including the United States.

The findings also reflect the vitality of Korea’s online book ecosystem. Yes24 remains a key platform for domestic readers, shaping which titles gain visibility and durability in the market. As Korean literature continues to reach global readers, data from large retailers can inform translation efforts, licensing, and library acquisitions abroad.