BTS book takes US bookstores by storm

"Beyond the Story" by BTS and Myeongseok Kang, translated by Anton Hur and Claire Richards (Big Hit Music)

The English version of a book about K-pop sensation BTS released earlier this month by the band's agency to mark the septet's 10 year anniversary is taking US bookstores by storm.

The book, titled “Beyond the Story: 10-year Record of BTS,” by BTS and Myeongseok Kang, translated by Anton Hur and Claire Richards, topped the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover nonfiction on Wednesday.

Rankings on the newspaper’s weekly list reflect sales including pre-orders for the week ending July 15.

It is the first time a book by a Korean author has topped the list.

Translations of “Beyond the Story” swept top spots on Amazon in the US, the UK, Brazil, Australia and Japan on the day it was released on July 9. In Brazil, it marked the highest-ever volume of pre-orders.

In South Korea, the Korean-language original rose to the No. 1 spot at major online bookstores across the country shortly after they began receiving pre-orders on June 15. After its release, the book ranked No. 1 on Kyobo Bookstore’s weekly bestseller list for both online and offline sales.

The book, which was planned and compiled over several years, features stories, photos and interviews with BTS members documenting the 10 years since the band's debut.