[Chungmuro Book Cafe] '10th Anniversary of Nirvana' New Book by Beopjeong Seunim Released... Like a Miracle

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Books by Beopjeong Seunim, who entered nirvana in 2010, and American astronomer Carl Sagan, who passed away in 1996, have been included in the Asia Economy bestseller rankings.

Asia Economy selected bestsellers from books sold between the 8th and 14th of this month. The rankings were compiled by referencing sales volume rankings from major online and offline bookstores such as Kyobo Bookstore, Interpark, and Yes24, combined with ratings from the newspaper’s culture department reporters to produce a comprehensive score.

With a book tying for 10th place, there are 11 books in this bestseller list. Compared to the previous ranking (December 27), five new books have entered the list.

'Be Happy by Yourself,' a collection of 20 essays by Beopjeong Seunim, ranked 5th. It was published by Saemteo on the 6th. During his lifetime, Beopjeong Seunim had a long-standing relationship with Saemteo, which publishes the cultural magazine 'Saemteo.' From 1979 to 1980, he contributed writings under the title 'Gosa Sunrye (古寺巡禮),' and from 1980 to 1996 under the title 'Sanbang Handam (山房閑談)' to 'Saemteo.'

The cultural magazine 'Saemteo,' launched in April 1970, overcame a crisis of closure at the end of last year. In October of last year, Saemteo announced an indefinite suspension starting with issue 598, the December 2018 issue, citing financial difficulties. Following the announcement of the indefinite suspension, various sectors expressed willingness to help. Kim Seong-gu, CEO of Saemteo, announced on the 'Saemteo' website on November 6 last year that a miracle had happened and that 'Saemteo' would continue to be published in 2020.

Issue 600 of 'Saemteo,' the February 2020 issue, was published on the 9th. 'Be Happy by Yourself' is a special edition commemorating the 10th anniversary of Beopjeong Seunim’s nirvana and the 50th anniversary 600th issue of 'Saemteo.' Beopjeong Seunim entered nirvana on March 11, 2010.

Ranking 3rd is Dr. Sagan’s 'Cosmos,' considered the most widely read popular science book in history. Originally published in the United States in 1980, it was officially translated and published in Korea in 2004.

The renewed attention to the long-published 'Cosmos' is due to tvN’s cultural program 'These Days Bookstore: Reading Books for You (These Days Bookstore),' which currently dominates the bestseller market. 'Cosmos' was introduced on the 'These Days Bookstore' broadcast on the 7th, sparking public interest.

Books for children are also gaining attention early in the year. 'Heunhan Nammae 3' ranked 1st immediately after its release on the 9th. The latest work in the '13-Story Treehouse' series, '117-Story Treehouse,' published on the 10th, ranked 9th.

'Heunhan Nammae' is a representative YouTube seller. The book contains comic stories about the popular creator 'Heunhan Nammae,' whose YouTube channel has over 1.6 million subscribers. It humorously depicts episodes that can occur between siblings, gaining popularity among children. Volumes 1 and 2 of 'Heunhan Nammae' were published in June and September last year, respectively, and both became bestsellers.

'117-Story Treehouse' is the latest in the '13-Story Treehouse' series by Australian children’s author Andy Griffiths. Starting with '13-Story Treehouse' in 2015, he has been adding 13 stories each time, releasing about two new books per year. The adventures of protagonists Andy and Terry as they build their treehouse stimulate children’s curiosity.

'One Page a Day, The Shortest Liberal Arts Lesson in the World 365' and 'Wide and Shallow Knowledge for Intellectual Conversation: Zero Edition' continue their popularity. 'Trend Korea 2020' and 'Eight' also remain long-term bestsellers.

'The Discovery of Learning,' which tied for 10th place with 'Factfulness,' is an essay by Tara Westover, a professor at Cambridge University. Professor Westover was unable to attend school until she was sixteen due to her father’s distrust of public education. She records how she began studying, gained knowledge, and grew, along with the thoughts and emotions she experienced during that process.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.