E-books' rise in popularity leads to simultaneous release with print versions
Published: 06 Nov. 2025, 17:44
Updated: 06 Nov. 2025, 17:48
![Yes24's e-book reader Crema [YES24]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/06/ad9d6081-edee-4d35-8805-4be79aa2b608.jpg)
Yes24's e-book reader Crema [YES24]
When Seoul college student Kim Eun-mi, 24, saw that writer Seong Haena's short story collection “Honmono” had been released, she bought the e-book immediately.
“I prefer e-books [over physical books] for short fiction stories,” she said. “[E-books are] easy to carry, and since most titles now come out in print and digitally at the same time, I don’t have to wait.”
As more young readers turn to e-books for fiction, more and more Korean publishers are releasing print and digital editions simultaneously. Just a few years ago, publishers, worried that e-books would hurt physical book sales, typically released the digital version months after a book's release. That custom has now all but disappeared.
“Honmono,” which sold 250,000 copies as of last month, was released digitally three days after its print debut. Both versions have since topped bestseller lists. Other major literary hits this year — including Kim Ae-ran’s “I Said Goodbye,” Gu Byeong-mo’s “Jeolchang” and Cheon Seon-ran’s “Where No One Comes” — were released with no delay or only a few days between formats, as were translated bestsellers like Keigo Higashino’s “The Fabricated Criminal” and Bernard Werber’s “Land of Chimera 1.”
“Short stories and fiction are sometimes even released digitally first,” said Lee Seok-young, the head of the e-book team at Yes24. “The growth of digital readership and social media marketing have made simultaneous publication the new norm.”
A senior editor at Hubble, the sci-fi division of publisher East Asia Books, also added that e-book and print audiences have clearly diverged, pushing publishers to launch both versions together since around 2020.
![The cover of writer Seong Haena’s short story collection “Honmono” [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/06/bc79ae41-e9fb-478b-8400-fb8b914aa789.jpg)
The cover of writer Seong Haena’s short story collection “Honmono” [SCREEN CAPTURE]
The shift reflects the broader and increasing popularity of e-books. According to the Korean Publishers Association’s 2024 Reading Culture Survey (translated), 37.5 percent of adult readers said they had read an e-book — a sharp jump from the 19 percent reported in a 2021 survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
According to the Reading Culture Survey, readers in their 20s led among all age groups, with a 47.1 percent e-book reading rate. The most popular e-book genre was fiction, accounting for 34.4 percent, followed by essays with 8 percent and finance with 7.2 percent.
Subscription-based services are also reshaping the market. Platforms like KT’s Millie’s Library, Yes24's Crema Club, Ridi Select, Kyobo Bookstore’s Sam and Aladin’s Mankwondang now compete to attract digital readers.
Industry representatives say these models could strengthen the publishing ecosystem — if fairer revenue-sharing systems are developed.
“Subscription platforms can sustain the industry,” one insider said, “but only if authors and publishers are compensated properly.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHOI HYE-RI [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)