Operating Profit Up 72% and Even an Appearance on 'You Quiz'... Minumsa's 60 Years of 'True Potential' Proven by Performance

Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the publishing company Minumsa is shaking up the publishing landscape by achieving unprecedented, record-breaking performance. According to the '2025 Publishing Market Statistics Report' released by the Korean Publishers Association, Minumsa's single-volume book sales in 2025 surged by 23.8% year-on-year to 20.612 billion won. The upward trend in operating profit was even more explosive, recording 4.177 billion won, which is an overwhelming achievement that skyrocketed by a whopping 72.7% compared to the previous year.

A Standout 23% High Growth Amid Major Publishers' Performance Decline

This unrivaled performance stands out even more as it was achieved amid a severe cold snap sweeping across the entire publishing market. In 2025, the total sales and operating profits of 22 major single-volume publishers decreased by 6.9% and 11.9%, respectively, compared to the previous year, and even Munhakdongne and Changbi, which rank first and second in sales, experienced a sharp decline in performance all at once due to the base effect of the 'Han Kang Nobel Prize in Literature boom' from the previous year.

On the other hand, Minumsa, which does not hold a single book by author Han Kang that drove the performance of its competitors, achieved high growth all on its own despite this overall downturn. This demonstrates the true potential of a 60-year-old publishing powerhouse in that it created a solely self-sustaining growth structure without relying on the accidental box-office success of specific new releases or external variables.

A Rebound Breaking 3 Years of Stagnation... A Profit Structure Free from Reliance on a Single Hit

Minumsa's income statement proves how solid the quality of this growth is. In fact, Minumsa experienced a period of stagnation with sales decreasing for three consecutive years: 14.833 billion won in 2021, 14.574 billion won in 2022, and 14.264 billion won in 2023. However, after firing the starting gun for a rebound with 16.646 billion won in 2024, it recorded structural performance improvements in 2025.

The key driving force that made this dramatic turnaround possible is undoubtedly the power of a solid 'steady-seller catalog'. It is the result of overcoming the chronic limitation of the publishing industry where a company's fate is swayed by the accidental success of one or two specific new releases, with a classic lineup, such as the World Literature Collection built over a long time, firmly supporting stable basic sales and even absorbing fluctuating demand. Instead of relying on a bestseller boom, new projects born from a flexible organizational culture that encourages a 'let's just try it' attitude achieved a harmonious balance with a solid existing catalog, completing an unwavering self-sustaining profit structure.

The Synergy of 'Brand Fandom' Created by Direct Communication with Readers

On top of this, the fandom built through direct communication with readers generated explosive synergy. In fact, this is evidenced by the recent recruitment for the 16th 'Minum Book Club', which saw a massive influx of users immediately after the registration page opened, closing on the same day with 25,000 members—far exceeding the initially expected number—as well as the ripple effect of its own YouTube channel, 'Minumsa TV', which boasts over 430,000 subscribers.

The phenomenon where foreign literature editors and marketers, who usually stayed behind the scenes of books, gained a fandom strong enough to make an appearance on the popular entertainment program tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block' also goes beyond mere buzz. Instead of stiff promotional phrases, editors stepped up to introduce books directly, securing a fan base, and demonstrating the so-called 'textbook example of brand marketing' where this fandom directly translated into book consumption, thereby achieving substantial profit maximization.

(Source : tvN)

In the dark tunnel of long-term stagnation, Minumsa went beyond the physical properties of books and drew readers' support for the people and processes behind planning and creating them. Amid the strongholds of major large publishers, this achievement proven by Minumsa's performance will serve as an important precedent showing how a traditional publishing powerhouse can build a reader communication network tailored to the changing times and connect it to a practical profit structure.