Praise poured in from 25 countries around the world
"A remarkable work that sets a new milestone in Korean literature."

★★★Sold over 1.7 million copies
★★★ National Library of Korea Book of the Year / Book of the Year in 38 Cities Nationwide
★★★Exported to 25 countries worldwide / Bestseller immediately upon publication in 14 countries
★★★ 150,000 copies sold in Taiwan, #1 in translated literature / #3 in translated novels at the Japan Bookstore Awards
★★★Play & Webtoon Now Performing and Serializing

The warmth that comes as you turn each page
A limited edition lenticular suit to accompany you through the long winter.

The international bestseller "Inconvenient Convenience Store" series, loved by 1.7 million Korean readers and acclaimed in 25 countries around the world, has been published in a special edition for the 2024-25 winter season, the "Hardcover Lenticular Limited Edition."
Set in a familiar, everyday space like a convenience store, this work brilliantly depicts the magical power of human goodwill, kindness, and hospitality, and is receiving universal sympathy, with reviews pouring in overseas as well, such as “the best humanistic novel I’ve read in a while,” “a heartwarming, healing drama you can’t take your eyes off of,” and “so touching and comforting that it makes us see our problems in a different way.”

This special edition is the first in the series to be bound in hardcover, increasing its collectible value.
Here, a lenticular illustration depicting an alley in front of a convenience store with falling snow and an autumn day brilliantly colored with autumn leaves was attached to the front to create a design that makes the space in the novel appear more fantastical and three-dimensional.
Additionally, the uniquely placed shapes and typography on the red and green backgrounds are printed entirely in gold foil, adding to the luxurious feel.
For those thirsting for the warmth of literature to accompany them through the long winter, the limited edition lenticular hardcover of "An Inconvenient Convenience Store" will be a warm gift that brightens their hearts with each turn of the page.

"The Inconvenient Convenience Store" is currently being exported to 25 countries around the world, including the United States, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, Taiwan, and Poland, and has been translated and published in various languages.
It became an immediate bestseller in 14 countries, including Taiwan, Thailand, Germany, Spain, and Brazil, and in Taiwan, the series sold 150,000 copies, achieving first place in translated literature.
The Japanese edition won third place in the translated novel category of the 2024 Japan Booksellers' Award, and the German edition was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Lovely Books Award.
An English version is scheduled to be published by HarperCollins, the largest publishing group in the English-speaking world, in the first half of 2025.
"The Inconvenient Convenience Store" has been adapted into a play and a webtoon, and is currently being serialized and performed in open runs. It is also being produced as a drama.

“I came here because I heard you were looking for a night shift worker.”
At that moment, the corners of my mouth automatically twitched.
It was fortunate that the mask hid much of his expression.
Seon-suk quickly scanned the man.
The large eyes and drooping eyebrows gave him a somewhat herbivore-like appearance, and the mustard-colored or poop-colored stretched-out T-shirt and the messy curly hair gave him an overall unkempt look.
“You came here to apply for a part-time job, so why are you buying toilet paper?”
“That’s because my mother said that if you go to a store that she knows, you have to sell it.
I just happened to run out of toilet paper at home.
Ahahaha.”
What is this excessive politeness? It was a bit burdensome, but seeing her friendly smile put me at ease.
Above all, it was a resource for night work.
Rather than being picky, it was better to just pick it out first and see.

---p.42

I've never once paid attention to who's at the convenience store counter.
Isn't it an unspoken rule at convenience stores that both employees and customers silently and quickly check out and receive their items? What am I supposed to do if someone suddenly starts talking to me? And it's a dark-skinned man talking about a latte! And tuna on top of that!
Sojin felt upset because her favorite drinks and snacks seemed to have been discovered.
Who would enjoy having their tastes discovered by an anonymous person? It's truly a travesty.
It wasn't like this before. Did the owner change? How could they hire such an inconsiderate employee? Or is that person the store manager? Then I thought I knew why this place wasn't doing well.
---pp.59~60

Even when business is bad and the world is in shambles due to COVID-19, this guy just writes 'Sammo Hung' on his name tag and smiles.
It's truly an enviable talent.
In a word, he is mentally blessed.
He's clearly over 40 years old, but he works part-time at a convenience store at night, so why does he look so relaxed?
“Hey, Sammo Hung.
“What is your identity?”
I asked the guy who handed me the card after finishing the calculation.
“Me? I work night shift at a convenience store.”
"No, that's not your original job, is it? What did you do before? What do you do during the day? Where do you live? Why does your name tag say Sammo Hung?"
“Um… I’ve been working part-time since the beginning.
I used to do some hard work too.
I sleep during the day.
If you work at night, you have to sleep for a long time because the quality of sleep during the day is not good.
My house is in Namchang-dong, above Namdaemun Market… … What else did you ask? Oh, Sammo Hung has been my nickname since I was little.
My real name is Geunbae.
Hwang Geun-bae.
Ahahaha.”
---pp.111~112

"student.
This is a discarded sandwich that was exactly 17 minutes old.
“If it’s okay, would you like to eat?”
An old man wearing a uniform vest that was so tight it looked like the buttons would burst at any moment offered a pork cutlet sandwich to Min-gyu.
At that moment, Min-gyu's face inevitably twitched.
Between the sandwich containing his favorite food, pork cutlet, and his mother's advice not to eat what others give him, Min-gyu had to think quickly.
“This is delicious.
“I really like it too.”
Min-gyu's wariness grew at the old man's words.
“But why are you giving this to me?”
“Well, that’s… because I also have a discarded pork cutlet lunch box that’s been out for 17 minutes.
Ahahaha.”
"ah……."
---pp.154~155

I came down the hill in Cheongpa-dong and passed a small intersection with an ALWAYS convenience store.
I reached the main road and walked along the back road to Seoul Station.
I followed the shade provided by the ginkgo trees, exhaling through my mask, and walked along Galwol-dong Street, taking the escalator to Seoul Station.
After passing through Seoul Station, Min-gyu cooled off for a moment in the air conditioning and took the escalator down to the underground passage to find Exit 11 of Seoul Station.
It wasn't easy, but I pushed through the crowds and found Exit 11, and found a path leading up to Namsan.
Damn, it's uphill.
Min-gyu climbed the hill like an adventurer advancing toward the wilderness.
Even though it was still morning and the weather was sweltering, I couldn't give up the library, which had lots of books, a store, and air conditioning.

---pp.183~184

On a midsummer night when there are no customers, a convenience store is like a refrigerator.
Just like a refrigerator that works tirelessly in the silence of the night, convenience stores also operate without stopping 24 hours a day.
Just as a refrigerator has a compressor to create cold air, a convenience store has clerks to create profit.
And just as the compressor makes a whirring, buzzing, whirring sound, the bass also makes sounds from time to time.
Oh, aha, phew.
Even when displaying items, stretching to avoid sleep, or taking the time to read a book, Geunbae made a sound.
Geunbae muttered to himself, as if to confirm that he was alive, as if to let people know that he was trapped in a refrigerator.
Then, as if a customer came in and proved the reason for the clerk's existence while awake at night.

---pp.190~191

Comparison cancer, worry poison.
That's what my mother always said to Geunbae.
"son.
Comparison is cancer and worry is poison.
“Life is already hard, so just think about yourself now.”
---p.217

I started working part-time around the time the COVID-19 era began, and I met many different people while working in various jobs.
People felt as if the masks were suffocating them.
Jobs were scarce or insecure, dirty or dangerous.
While wealthy individuals may have been able to focus on their work in their own space and time by wearing masks and practicing social distancing, for urban poor like Geunbae, the COVID-19 era was no different from wartime.
I had to worry about my survival, and once I got infected, I was sent away like a wounded soldier, with no chance of recovery.

---pp.236~237

Lunchbox with delicacies from the mountains and seas.
Minsik let out a sarcastic laugh.
There was a time when my business was going well, and I ate only the finest delicacies.
I frequented restaurants frequented by political and business figures, sought out seasonal restaurants, and enjoyed formal hotel dinners.
But now, he was given a dishonest feast of delicacies, with the red stuff being side dishes and the white stuff being rice.
Even the name of the lunchbox seemed to be teasing him.

---pp.251~252

I had countless questions and a voice in my heart to answer them, but I remained silent.
I don't know if it's for my son or for myself.
But it was clear that we were both going through a difficult season.
For a year and a quarter I have been here, becoming more and more alone than alone.
It wasn't just because of the era of non-face-to-face interaction.
These were days that were long needed, but I had to immerse myself in a time that contained some element that was lacking because I had not taken care of it.

---p.290