Published on March 23, 2026
Rising book prices are pushing more parents toward secondhand markets, as so-called “bookflation” continues to drive up the cost of children’s book series and bestsellers. According to data from the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea, prices for 95 percent of the 2,867 paper and e-books surveyed are set to rise, while only 5 percent are expected to fall.
A parent raising two preschool-aged children has recently turned to secondhand marketplaces more often to buy children’s books. “Since the second half of last year, prices for children’s book series have continued to rise,” the parent shared. “There are many books I want to buy, but the cost is burdensome, so I use secondhand platforms. Competition is fierce to secure books in good condition.”
Bookflation, or the phenomenon of rising book prices, continues to intensify across various genres. The best-selling title “Eat Pray Love” (2006) will see its price increase by 21 percent, rising from 16,500 won ($13) to 20,000 won starting in April. Similarly, the nonfiction title “Nietzsche: Words for Loving Yourself” (2024, translated) will jump from 17,500 won to 25,000 won, representing a staggering 43 percent increase just a year and a half after its publication.
Since 2014, when regulations mandating set book prices took effect, publishers are required to report any price changes 15th of the preceding month. This law has contributed to a steady increase in book prices over the years.
Last year, a total of 11,671 titles raised their prices, reaching a new record. This figure has steadily climbed from 6,223 in 2022 to 8,795 in 2023, and 9,798 in 2024. Popular children’s book series have also experienced significant price hikes. For instance, Arambooks increased the price of “Math Special Forces” (2023, translated) from 400,000 won to 440,000 won in May last year. Similarly, Great Books’ “Amazing Nature” (2019, translated) rose from 553,000 won to 597,000 won in July.
Well-known works have not escaped this trend. Park Sang-young’s short story collection “Love in the Big City” (2019) saw its price rise from 15,000 won to 18,000 won in June last year, while Hwang Sok-yong’s novel “The Guest” (2001) increased from 13,000 won to 17,000 won in July.
Book prices have been rising faster than overall inflation, with book prices increasing by 3.2 percent last month, exceeding the consumer inflation rate of 2 percent, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The average price of a book is nearing 20,000 won, with new titles published in 2024 costing an average of 19,600 won, up 4.8 percent from 18,633 won in 2023, and an increase of 18.9 percent compared to 2020.
The publishing industry cites rising production costs as the primary cause of these price increases. The global price of pulp, a crucial raw material for paper, reached $740 per ton in February, climbing by 5.7 percent since the start of 2026. Prices have risen for seven consecutive months, reflecting increases from $630 in August of last year.
“Production costs for paper books, including labor, continue to rise,” noted a publishing industry official. “If we keep prices the same, the more we sell, the more we lose.”
While reading has become trendy among younger people, many still find book prices to be prohibitively high. Some experts are calling for government and local authorities to expand book subsidies to promote reading and close gaps in literacy. Certain local governments already operate programs to refund part of book costs for purchases made at local bookstores, with customers receiving partial refunds after verifying their purchases.
In regions like Namwon, North Jeolla, and Ulsan, officials plan to raise the monthly refund limit from 40,000 won to 50,000 won this year, allowing customers to receive more money back when purchasing up to two books.