'Pachinko' book sales soar following series release on Apple TV+

The cover page of the translated novel ″Pachinko″ [LITERATURE & THOUGHT]

Following the release of Apple TV+’s Korean-language original series “Pachinko” on March 25, the sales of the original novel from which the story was adapted have increased.

Online bookstore Aladdin said Thursday that sales of the Korean-translated novel “Pachinko” increased by 15.2 times between March 22 and 29 compared to last year during the same period. The novel was published in 2017.

Korean-American author Min Jin Lee wrote the novel after living in Japan from 2007 to 2011 and interviewing numerous Zainichi Koreans. The novel was named one of the 10 Best Books of 2017 by the New York Times. The story follows four generations of ethnic Koreans in Japan, known as Zainichi Koreans. Ethnic Koreans have historically faced severe discrimination in Japanese society and were often only able to operate pachinko — vertical pinball machines mostly used in gambling — parlors as one of their few options of livelihood. Approximately 80 percent of pachinko parlors in Japan are owned by ethnic Koreans.

The multigenerational story takes place in Korea, Japan and the United States.

Apple TV+ released three episodes of the series on March 25. Consisting of a total of eight episodes, one episode will drop every Friday until April 29. Well-established actors such as Youn Yuh-jung, an Academy Award winner for the 2020 film “Minari,” and K-drama star Lee Min-ho star in the series.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]