SEOUL - For Park Min-ha, 28, reading has always been a hobby. But in the wake of [Han Kang’s historic Nobel Prize in literature](https://www.straitstimes.com/world/south-koreas-han-kang-wins-2024-nobel-literature-prize) win last year, her interest has deepened. Lately, she has adopted a new habit of pilsa which is the practice of writing passages from books by hand.
“Just reading a book and moving on didn’t feel like I had truly absorbed it,” Ms Park said. “Writing a full review felt like too much work, so instead, I started jotting down lines that resonated with me.”
She finds the process meditative. “Slowing down to write by hand helps me reflect on the message more deeply and remember it longer.”
She is hardly alone.
Mr Kwak Do-gyu, 20, a left-handed pitcher for the Kia Tigers in the Korean Baseball Organisation, was seen practicing pilsa on MBC reality TV show I Live Alone in an episode that aired Dec 20, last year.
Concerned about overworking his pitching hand, Mr Kwak carefully copied text with his right hand instead. A self-described digital native, Mr Kwak grew up surrounded by screens, making his embrace of such an analog practice all the more striking.
“Ever since I started pilsa, I’ve felt noticeably calmer,” he shared.
Ms Park and Mr Kwak are just two among many in a surprising trend. In a digital-first world, what was once a niche literary exercise has transformed into a full-fledged movement for the publishing industry in 2025.
This growing enthusiasm for pilsa is clearly reflected in the publishing industry.
Recently, an influx of books designed specifically for handwriting practice has hit the market. These books are structured with text on the left-hand page and blank space on the right, allowing readers to copy passages by hand.
While earlier pilsa books primarily focused on poetry and prose, more recent offerings have expanded significantly.
The trend now spans a wide range of genres, from famous quotes and philosophical writings to novels and lyrics by popular musicians, such as pop-rock sensation Day6, as well as solo sweethearts IU and Taeyeon. Recent political turmoil has even seen books like Copying the Constitution of the Republic of Korea gain traction.
According to Kyobo Book Center, the number of new pilsa titles increased from 57 in 2023 to 81 in 2024 over the year - a 42 per cent increase. Meanwhile, sales of pilsa books surged by an astonishing 692.8 per cent. The trend is thriving on social media, with Instagram posts tagged with pilsa rising from an accumulated 650,000 in September 2023 to a total of 701,000 as of this month.
“We’re seeing an ‘analog boom,’ especially among people in their 20s and 30s,” said a Kyobo spokesperson. “Beyond just reading, there’s a growing trend of carefully handwriting passages, decorating them and sharing them on social media.”
In particular, book One Day One Page has been leading bestseller lists at major bookstores since its release in March 2024. The collection of pilsa practice, along with author Yoo Sun-kyong’s commentary and tips on writing, sold over 250,000 copies in just six months.
It ranked 14th on the annual Kyobo Book Center’s bestseller list last year. If it hadn’t been for the Han Kang boom in the latter half of the year, it likely would have secured the ninth spot, according to the bookstore.
The book’s editor, Lee Sun-hee, said the initial concept was developed around 2021 to offer practical content that people could easily apply to their daily routines.
“At that time, due to the pandemic, many people found themselves spending more time at home and alone. They grew fatigued by the overwhelming amount of content they were consuming, and I heard similar feedback from those around me.”
As a result, she believes people began turning their attention to practical activities that could be done in small, manageable chunks of time.
“When we think of handwriting, it’s easy to imagine simply copying sentences, but we wanted to clearly highlight the benefits of enhancing vocabulary and literacy through this practice,” she added.
Another editor at Muhakdongne Publishing, which released a special edition of a pilsa book on Han Kang’s novels, commented, “Along with the rise of the ‘text hip’ trend, handwriting has solidified its place as a new cultural phenomenon.”
“The process of copying text by hand and reflecting on it offers a healing experience, stimulating emotions in the fast-paced society. (I think) the handwriting craze won’t be dying down anytime soon.
“Text hip” refers to the idea that reading is fashionable. It became a major phenomenon here in 2024, fuelled by the success of the Seoul International Book Fair and the Nobel Prize win. Now, critics say, it has evolved into “writing hip.”
“Handwriting is a very analog activity, and in today’s digital age, people seem to be seeking comfort through analog practices,” said cultural critic Ha Jae-geun.
The extremely slow act of handwriting has a meditative effect. The simple and repetitive nature of handwriting provides comfort and calm, helping to relieve stress and soothe the mind, as KBO southpaw Mr Kwak mentioned. In ancient times, it was considered a religious ritual, similar to copying Buddhist scriptures.
Cultural critic Kim Heon-sik described the act as a kind of “digital detox.” “It’s like zoning out. While trying to meditate, busy thoughts might arise, but when you focus on something else, you can temporarily forget them.”
Another benefit of handwriting, according to Mr Ha, is a boost in literacy.
“People are used to fragmented, short digital information, and a concern about a decline in literacy has been growing,” said Mr Ha. “As a result, there’s a desire to fill that intellectual void through handwriting.”
Encountering well-written sentences helps improve writing skills. While the words and expressions used in everyday life are somewhat limited, encountering unfamiliar words and phrases broadens linguistic range, improving vocabulary.
“Through handwriting, people rediscover words they knew but had forgotten, helping to enhance their expressive abilities,” Mr Ha said. “Younger generations are interpreting handwriting as an act to develop their intellectual abilities and address this sense of literacy crisis.” THE KOREAN HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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