Store closure has readers asking 'what the book?'

A sign at the front entrance of What the Book? announces the closure of the bookstore. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

By Jon Dunbar

The used bookstore What the Book? has closed its doors suddenly, shocking foreign residents of Seoul and sparking conversations across local internet communities.

The bookstore's website disappeared from the internet and its Itaewon location closed down last month, catching customers by surprise, some of whom had outstanding orders with the shop.

A sign at the building front entrance, as of Sept. 28, read "We temporarily close for personal reason. We apologize for the inconvenience you may suffer." As of Oct. 5, the sign was replaced with a handwritten note that appeared to be announcing its permanent closure, saying "What the Book. Closed Out of B ―."

A sign on the second-floor entrance had notes written from customers, asking about the status of their orders. On a bulletin board, someone posted a paper with a message saying "Are you out of business? It would be nice to know? If so thanks for the service over the years." The bookshelves, still stocked with books, are still visible through the glass door.

According to an email sent out on Sept. 21 by a store employee, the store had to close temporarily on Sept. 21 and 22 following an "urgent internal matter" starting Sept 20. One customer reported the store opened temporarily on Sept 26 to fulfill remaining orders that were in stock.

A note left by a customer on a bulletin board at the entrance of What the Book? asks if the bookstore is closed. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

The bookstore was opened by Yoo Hye-lim and Chris Chiavetta in 2003, back when English-language books were hard to come by. Its service was well-known among Seoul's foreign community. It stocked both new and used publications, including children's books, graphic novels and magazines. At its height, it boasted a collection of 1 million books. Frequent customers would often treat it as a library, purchasing books and selling them back after they finished them. It held back-to-school sales, author appearances and book fairs.

"The owners… envisioned something different for the book scene in Korea," the owners posted on their website. "The atmosphere in Korean bookstores is just not comfortable. Basing their store on this idea, Chris starting working on the interior of the store. It took him over a month to complete the shelving, electrical work, and the flooring―working before and after teaching his English classes. The store was an instant success. Books were flying off the shelves at an alarming rate."

Also, its English-language website made ordering books easy for foreign residents across the country who could not easily use Korean websites. Books were available through delivery or in-store pick-up, and a variety of foreigner-friendly payment methods were available.

"The site you are looking at now is built by foreigners in Korea, for foreigners in Korea," the website said.

It had been in at least three locations over the years, including a basement store near the area called "Hooker Hill." From there it moved to a second-floor space on Itaewon-ro, halfway between Itaewon and Noksapyeong stations. In July 2017 it relocated to Bogwang-ro, south of Itaewon Station, an area aptly named Antique Street, where it saw a considerable cut in store visits by customers.

Business also declined as the competition grew and consumers' reading habits changed.

The Korea Times attempted to contact What the Book? but nobody representing the bookstore could be reached for comment.

Site Map E-paper Subscribe Register LogIn
Site Map E-paper Subscribe Register LogIn