Writer Cheongyae, who topped the YES24 "2026 Young Writer to Shape the Future of Korean Literature" vote. [YES24]
Writer Cheongyae, who topped the YES24 "2026 Young Writer to Shape the Future of Korean Literature" vote. [YES24]

Writer Cheongyae has been named the top pick in YES24's "2026 Young Writer to Shape the Future of Korean Literature" vote.

Now in its 12th year, the campaign invites readers to choose the next-generation voices they believe will lead Korean literature. Voting ran for four weeks, from June 15 to July 13, through YES24's official website and its brick-and-mortar bookstores nationwide.

A total of 238,824 readers cast ballots this year. Cheongyae, who has appeared on the candidate list for three consecutive years since 2024, claimed first place with 27,145 votes, or 8.3 percent. Writer Gong Hyeon-jin followed in second with 26,862 votes (8.2 percent), ahead of Wi Su-jeong with 24,231 votes (7.4 percent) and Im Seon-u with 24,164 votes (7.4 percent).

Cheongyae has built a distinctive literary world through works including "Nangman Sarangni" and "Orenji wa Ppangkal," blending genre-driven imagination with nuanced psychological portraiture. In June, she extended her prolific output with the release of the full-length novel "Ju wa Yeon."

In a statement marking the win, Cheongyae said: "Only literature has given me a just reward. That is why literature is, to me, a miracle I can witness and a dream I can realize. I am sincerely grateful to every reader who made that possibility real. As long as we believe in the power of stories, you and I can become anything."

To celebrate the result, YES24 will host "A Summer Night Book Talk with Cheongyae" in August. One hundred members who leave a comment to apply will be selected by lottery and invited to hear the author discuss her work in person.

A reader participation event will also run alongside the book talk. Three hundred members who post congratulatory comments will be chosen by lottery to receive a 1,000-won reading credit, and readers who purchase books by any of the top five authors in this year's vote will receive an illustrated hardcover notebook and sticker set featuring artwork by writer Im Jin-a.

"Once again this year, a large number of readers took part in the vote and showed their deep interest in and affection for Korean literature," said Cho Seon-yeong, head of YES24's book business division. "The fact that, as last year, a writer with a strong genre sensibility has earned readers' support gives us hope that even more readers will discover the appeal of Korean genre fiction."


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