[Chungmuro Book Cafe] Thought It Was Going Well... The Topic Again Is 'Anxiety'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Socially and economically, fear of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is growing again. According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the number of new COVID-19 cases exceeded 50 per day on 4 out of the last 7 days.

The global economic recession risk is also intensifying due to COVID-19. On the 8th (local time), the World Bank forecasted the global economic growth rate for this year at -5.2%, warning that it could fall to as low as -8% in the worst case. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) projected South Korea’s economic growth rate this year at -1.2% if the resurgence of COVID-19 is successfully contained, and -2.5% if it is not.

The fact that titles such as "The COVID Investment War," "The World After COVID," and "The Nature of Money" topped this week’s bestseller list seems to reflect anxiety about an uncertain future. Four out of the top 10 bestsellers are economics and business books. "The Having," "Effortlessly and Comfortably," "Ordinary Words," and "When I Don’t Even Know What I Want" are books that offer ways to ease the mind or live life more wisely amid uncertain times.

Asia Economy selected bestsellers from books sold between the 3rd and 9th. The rankings were compiled by referencing sales rankings from major online and offline bookstores such as Yes24, Kyobo Bookstore, and Interpark, combined with ratings from Asia Economy’s culture department reporters to create a comprehensive ranking.

The popularity of "The Having" remains unbroken. It ranked first in the bestseller lists of Kyobo Bookstore, Interpark, and Yes24 this week as well. This has been the case since April. The book’s popularity seems to stem from its light and comfortable storytelling about wealth and money through the voices of two women in their 30s. The two protagonists meet in places like France and Italy, casually chatting about everyday life and also discussing wealth. It reads easily like a diary.

Books forecasting the future after COVID-19 are gaining popularity. "The COVID Investment War," featuring eight economic analysts and professional investors who appeared on the podcasts "With the God of Economy" and "Sampro TV" to predict the post-COVID asset market, had to settle for 4th place, dropping one rank from the previous tally.

"The World After COVID" newly entered the rankings. Jason Schenker, chairman of Prestige Economics, a U.S. financial market research firm, predicted the post-COVID era. "Uncontact," which analyzes the societal changes brought by the new lifestyle of non-face-to-face and contactless interactions triggered by COVID-19, continues to maintain steady popularity.

"The Nature of Money" also newly entered the rankings. It was written by Kim Seung-ho, a Korean-American entrepreneur who founded the Snow Fox Korean sushi and kimbap restaurant in the U.S. in 2005 and grew it into a global company. The book tells stories about how to create seed money from scratch and grow it, as well as reflections on life and money from his self-made experience.

"Effortlessly and Comfortably" and "Ordinary Words," which both entered the rankings last time, rose two and three places respectively this time. Kim Soo-hyun, author of "Effortlessly and Comfortably," previously published "I Decided to Live as Myself" in 2016, which has sold over one million copies to date. Yes24 analyzed that the strong support from a loyal reader base established by "I Decided to Live as Myself" stood out, highlighting the steady love from readers in their 30s and 40s for comforting and emotional essays.

"Ordinary Words" is a new release by lyricist Kim Ina after five years. Her increased public recognition through active broadcasting activities over the past five years seems to have contributed to the book’s popularity. Kim Ina has created many popular songs with her sparkling emotional lyrics. In this new book, she closely explores the words we casually use in daily life, discovering new emotions and assigning new meanings to them.

"Memory," a new novel by Bernard Werber, also shows strong support from a dedicated fan base. Werber is considered the most popular French author in South Korea.

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