{"id":279460,"date":"2026-01-11T15:28:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T15:28:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/279460\/"},"modified":"2026-01-11T15:28:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T15:28:30","slug":"whats-behind-jang-won-youngs-lucky-vicky-mindset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/279460\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s behind Jang Won-young\u2019s \u2018Lucky Vicky\u2019 mindset"},"content":{"rendered":"

How K-pop star\u2019s positivity craze turned quiet book of Buddhist wisdom into publishing phenomenon<\/p>\n

\"Jang Jang Won-young (Jang Won-young’s Instagram) <\/p>\n

When Kyobo Book Center released its list of the top 10 bestsellers for 2025, one title stood out amid a sea of Korean books: \u201cSuper-Translated Buddha’s Words,\u201d by a Japanese monk.<\/p>\n

Its unlikely rise can be traced to a single moment. In January, Jang Won-young of the K-pop group Ive mentioned the book during her appearance on tvN talk show \u201cYou Quiz on the Block.\u201d Almost immediately, sales took off.<\/p>\n

Originally published in May 2024, the book climbed rapidly into the upper ranks of the weekly bestseller list. Sales jumped 76-fold from the previous week, and within a single day rose an eye-catching 1,983.3 percent. Women accounted for nearly two-thirds of buyers, with readers in their 30s making up the largest age group.<\/p>\n

Jang\u2019s influence extends beyond charts and sales figures.<\/p>\n

In 2024, she popularized the phrase \u201cLucky Vicky,\u201d a play on her English name that encapsulates her approach to everyday life. She shared a story from a tour in Spain. After waiting in line at a famous bakery, the bread sold out just before her turn. Instead of feeling disappointed, she reframed the moment: A fresh batch would be coming out shortly, meaning she would get it straight from the oven. \u201cThat\u2019s Lucky Vicky,\u201d she told fans.<\/p>\n

Fans coined another term \u2014 \u201cWon-young-style thinking\u201d \u2014 which spread quickly as a viral meme. Jang has described it as a way of finding small joys in ordinary moments and choosing gratitude even when circumstances may not go one’s way.<\/p>\n

That mindset aligns neatly with the message of \u201cSuper-Translated Buddha’s Words.\u201d Written by the Japanese Buddhist monk Ryunosuke Koike, the book distills Buddhist teachings in short, approachable passages. Rather than leaning on doctrine or ritual, it focuses on everyday emotional life \u2014 how to let go of worry, anger and attachment and how to meet oneself with a little more kindness.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen work gets overwhelming, reading makes me feel like there\u2019s nothing in the world worth getting angry about, though, of course, I still get angry,\u201d Jang said. \u201cWhen that happens, I open the book and read a line or two. It helps calm me down and gives me the strength to start the next day. It cuts off the spark in your heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

One passage, in particular, stayed with her: \u201cDo not cling. If you don\u2019t cling to anything in this world, nothing becomes a problem. The moment attachment becomes obsession, suffering is born.\u201d Jang said the words brought her comfort and clarity.<\/p>\n

What else is on her reading list?<\/b><\/p>\n

Jang\u2019s reading habits have surprised some fans \u2014 and charmed others. In May 2024, she appeared on the YouTube talk show \u201cSalon Drip,\u201d hosted by comedian Jang Do-yeon, where she spoke openly about her love of reading.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recharge at home on my days off,\u201d she said. \u201cReading is healing. When you learn something through books, your mind feels lighter and calmer.\u201d<\/p>\n

She mentioned \u201cSchopenhauer for Those in Their Forties,\u201d a philosophy book by Kang Yong-soo that appeared on bestseller lists in the first half of the year and placed fifth for the year overall. The book has been recommended by several other public figures as well.<\/p>\n

Though marketed to middle-aged readers, she said she chose to read it in her early 20s. \u201cI thought, wouldn\u2019t it be nice to know these things earlier?\u201d she explained, adding that the philosopher\u2019s famously pessimistic tone was an unexpected comfort.<\/p>\n

She has also spoken fondly of \u201cThe Analects by Confucius,\u201d an ancient Chinese philosophical text, joking that mentioning it makes her sound a little too serious. Still, certain lines have stayed with her, like: \u201cThe noble person is at ease; the petty person is always anxious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t that comforting?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

More recently, Jang shared a photo on Instagram of \u201cLife Lessons From the Buddha,\u201d highlighting a passage she had underlined: \u201cMay all living beings be happy, peaceful and at ease.\u201d It felt fitting \u2014 a quiet reflection of the steady, positive energy she is known for, both onstage and off.<\/p>\n

Celeb Reads explores how K-pop stars, actors and other public figures are reshaping the publishing world through heartfelt book recommendations that revive forgotten titles and create new bestsellers. The series highlights the books that shaped them \u2014 and may shape your next read. \u2014 Ed.<\/p>\n

\"\u201cSuper-Translated \u201cSuper-Translated Buddha’s Words\u201d by Ryunosuke Koike (Forest Books) \"\u201cSchopenhauer \u201cSchopenhauer for Those in Their Forties\u201d (Uknowbooks) \"Jang Jang Won-young (Jang Won-young’s Instagram) \"Jang Jang Won-young (Jang Won-young’s Instagram)
\n
hwangdh@heraldcorp.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"How K-pop star\u2019s positivity craze turned quiet book of Buddhist wisdom into publishing phenomenon Jang Won-young (Jang Won-young’s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":279461,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[264],"tags":[141027,18,117,19,17,112468,141026,141029,337,141028],"class_list":{"0":"post-279460","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"tag-celeb-reads","9":"tag-eire","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-ie","12":"tag-ireland","13":"tag-ive","14":"tag-jang-won-young","15":"tag-lucky-vicky","16":"tag-music","17":"tag-141028"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115877177345500412","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=279460"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279460\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/279461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=279460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=279460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=279460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}