With 2014 coming to a close, Koreans are left with a string of memorable items, services and cultural products.

To compile its “10 best things” lists, The Korea Herald tracked down what captivated consumers throughout the year.

The 10 categories range from books and movies to cars and imported beer, to big gainers on the stock market and top local brands ― a wide array of fields that offer an intriguing glimpse into Koreans’ preferences this year.

There’s no question that a host of cultural milestones were set this year. Period flick “Roaring Currents” broke every record on its path to becoming the most-watched movie here, attracting a whopping 17.6 million viewers. SBS TV drama “My Love from the Star” was a phenomenal hit not only in Korea, but throughout Asia, catapulting actor Kim Soo-hyun into stardom.

Outside of the entertainment field, Koreans continued to favor Samsung Electronics, the maker of Galaxy smartphones, as their favorite brand. On the stock market, however, the star was indisputably the cosmetics-maker AmorePacific. Buoyed by strong duty-free sales among Asian tourists, the company advanced to 15th place from 42nd in the stock market ranking by market capitalization.

An imaginary “best things” person might be enjoying this festive season by reading Swedish writer Jonas Jonasson’s novel “The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared,” listening to K-pop boy band EXO and sipping the Chinese beer Tsingtao, according to the rankings.


Five most-watched TV programs

1. “King’s Family” (KBS) 48.3%
2. “What’s With This Family” (KBS) 37.7%
3. “Jang Bo-ri is Here!” (MBC) 37.3%
4. Kim Yuna’s last performance at Sochi Winter Olympics 33.2%
5. “My Love from the Star” (SBS) 28.1%

(Source: Nielsen Korea)


Most searched terms on Naver

1. Daum
2. Weather
3. YouTube
4. League of Legends
5. Google

(Source: Naver)


Domestic cars

1. Kia Morning (76,846)
2. Hyundai Avante (73,854)
3. Hyundai Santa Fe (66,044)

Imported cars

1. Volkswagen Tiguan (6,371)
2. Mercedes-Benz E220 CDI (5,480)
3. BMW 520d (5,279)

(Source: Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association)

Best-selling books

1. “The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out
the Window and Disappeared” By Jonas Jonasson, fiction, Sweden
2. “Me Before You” By Jojo Moyes, fiction, U.K.
3. “What a Day” By Shin Joon-mo, essays, Korea
4. “Europe that I Love Top 10” By Jeong Yeo-wool, travel, Korea
5. “Feeling Lesson” By Kang Shin-joo, philosophy, Korea

(Source: Kyobo Book Center)

Best-selling K-pop artists and albums of 2014

1. EXO-K “Overdose” 231,986
2. EXO-M “Overdose” 174,576
3. TVXQ “Tense” 159,899
4. Super Junior “Mamacita” 127,445
5. Infinite “Season 2” 118,558

(Source: Hanteo Chart)