Book sales increase amid pandemic

Book sales have shown a significant increase amid the pandemic. / Korea Times file

By Park Han-sol

Amid the year-long pandemic and the everyday need for social distancing, demand for books has increased significantly across multiple platforms.

According to Kyobo Book Centre, the largest bookstore chain in Korea, its sales from the period between Jan. 1 and Dec. 6 last year increased by 7.3 percent, compared to the previous year. A major online bookstore YES24 saw an even larger growth of 23 percent in its sales from January to November, compared to the year before.

COVID-19 has brought changes to people's reading habits and their interest in different contactless mediums for consuming literature as well, especially in electronics and audio books.

Millie's Library, an e-book subscription service provider, stated the number of its users has doubled since the beginning of last year. According to the audio book platform Welaaa, its number of audio books as well as its users have also surged by 90.1 percent and 394 percent, respectively.

Such change in the demand for books is seen primarily as part of a general trend of people's interest in developing hobbies that do not conflict with coronavirus restrictions while they stay at home and telecommute. Moreover, as students took part in online classes, parents saw the increasing need to fill a learning gap for their children by purchasing education-related books and other essential reading for classes.