Bae Yong-joon Garners More Laurels with Book About Korea

Korean wave superstar Bae Yong-joon's book "Travel in Search of Korea's Beauty" has become a steady seller in both here and Japan, and now he has published it in Taiwan as well.

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The Korean version, which was published in September last year, went into a 13th impression just a month after it was launched, and the Japanese version, which hit stores simultaneously, also became an instant bestseller and garnered positive reviews, which is rare for a collection of travel essays. It was especially praised for offering fresh insights into Korean culture as Bae himself sought out artisans in obscure fields.

One of the reasons the book was popular here was that it was seen as a book to give a foreign friend, and indeed many foreigners were impressed and felt they had gained a deeper understanding of the country.

SBOOKER, the publisher of the Taiwanese version, said it received consistent requests to publish the book there, not only from Bae's fans but also from general readers. Unlike other celebrity books it is a great guide to Korean culture, and the firm expects a positive reception from readers of all ages.

Chinese and English versions are also in the works.