Trendspotting - Korean Culture
Tuning in to the latest trends across all aspects of culture and society, from interiors to food to fashion, is a vital part of what we do at Bookspeed. We like to be ahead of the curve when it comes to identifying the right themes for books for our customers.
Lately we’ve been excited to see lots of brilliant books celebrating Korean culture and food and drink. So, in the first in our trendspotting series, we take a deep dive into why the spotlight is shining on South Korea.
Why is Korean culture trending?
For a couple of decades South Korea has been gradually asserting itself as a global cultural powerhouse, thanks to exports including K-pop, Squid Games and Parasite. It's an ascent that can partly be attributed to a government strategy to boost the country’s global profile but the Korean Wave shows no signs of subsiding.
How is this trend showing up?
The Korean Wave may have started with K-pop but now the country’s influence can be seen everywhere. Tourism to the country is on the up. Korean cuisine has been seeping into the mainstream. Everyone's talking about Korean beauty and skincare. A Korean beauty product is sold every 10 seconds.
Will it stick around?
South Korea’s cultural ascent has been no accident. The strategy to put the East Asian country in front of Western audiences has paid off, and social media platforms, such as TikTok, are picking up and driving this trend. We expect interest in Korean culture, food and living to only grow more. This has been reflected in the number of Korea-themed books we’ve seen sell well across multiple genres.
How can I incorporate it into my ranges?
A Korean slant on different themes can help bring your ranges bang up to date. Food is an obvious place where you can add this trend. Korean street food has a huge following and books such as Pocha will transport your customers to a culinary adventure through Seoul. Korean beauty books, for example The Korean Skincare Beauty Bible, will instantly update any wellness product lines. And it’s worth looking out for books from Korean voices if you already include fiction or biography in your offering. We like I Decided to Live as Me, which blends self-help and memoir.
