Million seller creates buzz for youngsters

‘Youth’ sets sight on overseas markets

By Chung Ah-young

Korean youths these days are often referred as the smartest, most educated and most capable generation blessed with material affluence. At the same time they are criticized as the feeble and dependent generation. They are caught between materialistic abundance and spiritual vapidity against ever-deepening insecurity driven by a tight job market. The tech-savvy generation seems to be lusty and lighthearted at first glance but internally struggle to survive the cutthroat competition and to fight loneliness.

On that score, “(It’s) Youth, Because It’s Painful” written by Kim Ran-do, professor at Seoul National University, might be a great comfort full of hearty advice and guides for them.

The book’s recently sold a record of more than 1 million copies in eight months — the shortest period for a non-fiction work in Korea — proves how much contemporary Korean society is suffering from internal conflicts and needs careful attention.

First published Dec. 24, 2010, the book had topped the bestselling list within three weeks after the release. It broke the 1 million copy-mark in just eight months.

“Over the last five years, only ‘Please Look After Mom’ by Shin Kyung-sook has sold more than 1 million copies. This book did it in eight months, proving how big this book’s popularity is,” said Han Ki-ho, head of the Korean Publishing Marketing Research Institute.

This book is about advice from the professor for young Koreans who are struggling with an unstable future and solitude. Known as an open-minded professor who frequently talks with students over lectures and social networks, the author encourages them to overcome their loneliness and anxiety.

Consisting of 42 sections, the book is not a typical lesson to give tips to youngsters just for success — how to get ample qualifications to land a good job. Or it doesn’t cheer them up just with hopeful messages and ready optimism. Instead, the author embraces the readers with sometimes warmhearted advice and other times candid, poignant and realistic reprimands, casting down his eyes on youngsters’ views.

In the book, he calms readers by saying: “It’s not time for you, the flower, to bloom yet” or “Don’t invest yet” or “First, jump on the train.” His advice is based on his experiences and feelings of a spiritual mentor to approach the suffering youth to open their minds and induce them to frankly talk about their angst.

The initial craze for the book was driven by 20-somethings during the first three months from December 2010 to February 2011 after the publication. According to Yes 24, the online bookstore, more than half of the purchasers of the book were the young generation in their 20s.

What is interesting, however, is the purchasing power of the 40-something readers, or 29 percent, who boosted the sales of the book in the recent three months from June to August this year. This played a crucial role to help the book mark 1 million sales. Also, while the book’s popularity is on the rise, the requests for lectures about the subject by CEOs and other businessmen are surging, according to Sam & Parkers, the book’s publisher.

“As times goes by, the spectrum of the readers is broadening to all age groups and as a result the book is selling solidly,” the publisher said.

“Also, the reason of the popularity is that the book puts ‘discourse on youth’ to open discussion and serves as a main tool to understand our society. It is a way to empathize with the suffering youth and a bridge to connect the young generation with the older one,” the publisher said.

Eyeing overseas readers

As the book continues its buzz in Korea, the publisher is now setting its sight on overseas markets. The publication rights have been sold to seven countries — China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Brazil, Italy and the Netherlands — cautiously anticipating overseas fever to follow in the footsteps of Shin’s novel “Please Look After Mom,” which has been published in 27 countries.

A Chinese publisher was quoted as saying “The book is suitable for our Chinese university students who are wandering around without a goal. We’re sure that the book will touch the hearts of the young Chinese readers like in Korea.”

A Japanese publisher also said that the subject will appeal to the Japanese youngsters who are also suffering a high unemployment rate. It says: “As the two youths have the similar difficulties the book will create sympathy for the young Japanese generation.”