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| At Kyobo Bookstore's Gwanghwamun branch in Seoul's Jongno District on Jan. 6, a notice indicates that "Not Everybody Feels a Longing" is sold out and will be restocked after Jan. 10. Newsis |
By Ko Dong-hwan
Ousted former President Park Geun-hye's series of letters during her imprisonment have topped Korean major bookstores' sales charts shortly after being published late last December.
Titled "Not Everybody Feels a Longing," the book contains Park's responses to letters sent by her supporters during her life behind bars for four years and nine months. Park's writings were gathered and bound by her lawyer Yoo Yeong-ha, the only visitor she received during her imprisonment.
The country's largest on- and offline book seller Kyobo Bookstore on Jan. 7 released bestseller rankings from Dec. 29 to Jan. 4, which was topped by Park's book. Published on Dec. 30 ― a day before she was released ― the book came in with the highest sales in Kyobo including presales. On YES24, a major online bookstore, the book was the top-seller of the week following its release.
Kyobo reported that the book ― containing letters in her own handwriting and photos never before released to the public ― was mostly purchased by people in their 60s or older, contributing to 36 percent of sales.
In the book, Park mostly defends her past deeds and stands by her claims of innocence to the charges that led to conviction including letting her close friend, Choi Soon-sil, run state affairs from behind the scenes and colluding with her to extort money from big businesses including Samsung. She neither made an explicit expression of regret nor any apology for the turmoil she caused, which triggered nationwide candle-light street protests by millions of people.
As one of her arguments in the book Park purports, "What I can say with certainty is that I never did anything as ugly as serving another's interests with a personal motive in mind."
She was sentenced to a 22-year prison term in 2017 but President Moon Jae-in issued her a pardon late last month, reducing her sentence by more than 17 years.
