K-Book Trends -

Search word : "Hope", Search result : 460

[TREND / TOPIC]

Dreaming of a Different Peace as We Depart from Houyhnhnms

Topic Dreaming of a Different Peace as We Depart from Houyhnhnms 2024.08.05 The 2024 Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF) has concluded with great success. During the peak hours when the crowd surged, I found myself in a state of constant anxiety, hoping that everything would go smoothly. As visitors queued up, stretching so far that the end of the line was out of sight, and the temperature inside rose, making the air conditioning struggle, my heart tightened. Yet, now I breathe a sigh of relief that the event ended without major incidents. Main posters of 2024 SIBF Challenges in preparing for the 2024 Seoul International Book Fair This year’s preparation for the Seoul International Book Fair was fraught with challenges. Traditionally held in Hall A on the first floor of COEX, we were informed last year to reduce the event...

VOL.73 / 2024.08

[TREND / SPECIAL PROJECT]

Korean Folk Tales and Picture Books: Spreading Korean Culture into the World

Special Project [English Books in Korea ③] Korean Folk Tales and Picture Books:Spreading Korean Culture into the World Introduction of Korean folk tales and picture books published in English 2024.08.05 Since its founding in 1963, “Hollym,” the English-language brand of “Hollym Corp., Publishers,” has been publishing and exporting English-language books introducing Korean culture to the world with the catchphrase, “Books on Korea to the World.” In 1977, it established a local subsidiary, “Hollym International Corp.” in New Jersey in the US, and has set up overseas distributors around the world to accelerate book exports.From the late 1900s to the early 2000s, not many people knew where Korea was located, or even if it existed at all. It was a difficult time for people to make a living, so the domestic publishing industry could not be developed systematically; it was rare for Korean books to be exported and translated and published i...

VOL.73 / 2024.08

[TREND / ONE-LINER QUOTES]

From a Tiny Room to a Funeral Home, and to the Heaven of Magma

One-Liner Quotes From a Tiny Room to a Funeral Home,and to the Heaven of Magma A Poet’s Pick 2024.08.05 Kim Yu-Tae is a poet and reporter in the Art & Culture Department at Maeil Business Newspaper. He wrote the poetry collection, Nothing Happened Except for That One (Munhakdongne, 2021), and the prose collection about banned books, Bad Books (Geulhangari, 2024). A Western scholar once wrote that language reveals what has been, and what has not been, and above all, what has “ceased” to exist. Here, the language can be the names of those who once existed, or sometimes the sentences left behind in the form of poetry. In this respect, I have long thought of the posthumous poetry collection as a “rusty mirror” in which the departed tried to find and gaze upon their own self-portrait ahead of time.The poetry of the dead, contemplated in life by those who are no longer with us, is like a letter from the afterlife to the pre...

VOL.73 / 2024.08

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

Korean Publishers’ Efforts to Meet New Readers

Knowledge Korean Publishers’ Efforts to Meet New Readers 2024.08.05 Publishers have been putting the utmost effort into connecting readers, works, and authors. One of the examples was booktalks, where readers meet the author. Booktalks helped publishers expand the horizon of readers’ engagement with works and maintain fanship, but it was not easy to secure new readers. As a large number of booktalks turned contactless after the outbreak of COVID-19, the small influx of new readers fell even more.Meanwhile, as the marketing trend in Korea moved onto pop-up stores, many Generation Z started to take shots, do opening rushes, and leave reviews. This trend has made it a must-do event for companies when launching new products (brands). There were even reviewers who left comments on pop-up stores open in Seongsu-dong (the region in Seoul settled as a hot place among Generation Z as it became the hub of pop-up stores). Where both present and future readers...

VOL.73 / 2024.08

[TREND / TOPIC]

What the “Steady Seller Phenomenon” Means for the Book Market

Topic What the “Steady Seller Phenomenon” Means for the Book Market On books that have reached their 100th print 2024.07.01 The implication of books that hit the 100th print Kim Dong-Sik’s The Grey Man (Yoda Books) recently celebrated its 100th printing in the Korean book market. While the writer’s dramatic leap from a foundry worker to a best-selling writer has been spotlighted, what is perhaps most important is the internal narrative of the short stories contained within. This collection of 24 short stories was selected from the hundreds of short stories he posted to the horror forum of an online community, “Today’s Humor.” It is indeed a kaleidoscope of life’s short stories, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking. Readers have responded so enthusiastically to the short story collection, which went into its 100th printing in 2017 - 7 years after it was first published, and there are many factors behind this. The factor include the dra...

VOL.72 / 2024.07

[TREND / TOPIC]

Development and Transformation of Korean Young Adult Fiction

Topic Development and Transformation of Korean Young Adult Fiction 2024.06.03 “Young Adult (YA)” is a keyword that can’t be left out when discussing Korean literature in recent years. In fact, “recent” might not be the right word. It was in 2021 when the first article on the topic of “young adult fiction” appeared in K-Book Trends, and Sohn Won-Pyung’s Almond (Dazzling Publishers), which was mentioned as a work that led the young adult market at that time, was published in 2017. However, the term “young adult” appears in the submission guidelines of new fiction contests, in the names and intentions of newly conceived novel series, and in the introductions of young adult SF or fantasy novels. As such, young adult fiction is expanding and changing at a remarkably rapid pace. This growth can be attributed to the steady improvement of Korean young adult fiction, the changes in general fiction, and readers’ enthusiasm for new genres. S...

VOL.71 / 2024.06

[INFORMATION / INFO]

2026 K-Book Market In Seoul

Info 2026 K-Book Market In Seoul 2026.06 A 3-day market to connect Korean publishing rights and IP with invited global buyers. Expect tailored 1:1 rights meetings, IP showcase & pitching (online + on-site), and K-Book Exhibition.You’ll also find export consulting (by region/genre), a publishing trends seminar, a networking reception, and Seoul International Book Fair access for overseas participants. DATE: 2026.6.22(Mon)–24(Wed) | PLACE: Lotte Hotel World, Seoul | Host: Publication lndustry Promotion Agency of Korea(KPIPA) We hope you’ll show your continued interest and support for the 2026 K-Book Copyright Market! ...

VOL.95 / 2026.06

[INFORMATION / NEW BOOKS]

What If You Encountered Your Own Clone One Day?

New Books What If You Encountered Your Own Clone One Day? 2026.05 Can Hate Be Replicated?, Yoon, Hye-seong, 2026. Yoon, Hye-seong’s debut novel, Can Hate Be Replicated?, has been released as part of the "Short Series" by Safe House (Anjeongaok), a publisher specializing in genre fiction. Safe House is a production studio that creates and distributes stories for "fandoms" of genres such as SF, fantasy, mystery, horror, and romance. Author Yoon previously co-wrote the script for the K-drama 〈The Dream Life of Mr. Kim〉. While that drama offered a realistic and satirical portrayal of the lives of Korean office workers, Can Hate Be Replicated? explores a deeply human story of alienation, conflict, and the eventual downfall of a couple facing extreme suffering. The novel is categorized as a "Gyeong-jangpyeon," a format that can be described as a novella—a medi...

VOL.94 / 2026.05

[INFORMATION / K-BOOK MAP]

Where Literature Dwells - Bridging the Past and Present of Korean Literature through Its Museums -

K-Book Map Where Literature Dwells- Bridging the Past and Present of Korean Literature through Its Museums - 2026.04 Literary museums dedicated to specific writers hold profound significance. They serve as cultural archives that reveal the various elements behind the birth of a literary masterpiece. Numerous such museums operate across Korea today. Among them, we would like to introduce three locations selected for their historical and regional balance: the Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum in Seoul (Yun Dong-ju: 1917–1945), the Pak Kyongni Literature Park in Wonju, Gangwon-do (Pak Kyongni: 1926–2008), and the Na Tae-joo Pulkkot Literary House in Gongju, Chungnam (Na Tae-joo: 1945–). Yun Dong-ju was a poet who focused on self-reflection and maintaining a human conscience despite the oppression of the colonial era. Pak Kyongni was a novelist who gave form to the turbulence of modern Korean history thr...

VOL.93 / 2026.04

[TREND / SPECIAL PROJECT]

Korea Today and the Charm of Korean Culture

Special Project [English Books in Korea ①] Korea Today and the Charm of Korean Culture 2024.06.03 I’m pleased to be able to introduce the English edition of my book about Korea through this interview. This is because such an opportunity does not come around often, and because through this, I can draw the attention of the industry and readers in this harsh climate where the number of English books about Korea is decreasing rather than increasing.One keyword that automatically comes to mind when you think of English books about Korea is “Kinokuniya” bookstores in Japan. I was literally overwhelmed by the number of English books about Japan that I saw at Kinokuniya Bookstore in Japantown, San Francisco, US. On the other hand, the number of English books published in Korea is far too little, and the fields are focused on culture and language, with very few on economics, society, practical skills, and people. What’s more, the number of titles is shrinking.M...

VOL.71 / 2024.06

VOL.97/2026.08

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