Min Jin Lee's American Hagwon bought in 12-publisher auction

Min Jin Lee’s third novel ‘American Hagwon’ was bought in a 12-way publishing auction, meaning 12 publishers bid for the rights. Published 29 September 2026 after ‘Pachinko’ in 2017, it follows one family from Seoul to Sydney to California around the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The Guardian reported ‘Pachinko’ sold more than 5 million copies globally.