K-Book Trends -

Search word : "Reading culture", Search result : 39

[TREND / EXPORT CASE]

Imagination Beyond Borders: The Whole New World in K-Picture Book

Export Case Imagination Beyond Borders:The Whole New World in K-Picture Book 2026.05 Imagine a world where borders require no passports, thoughts have no ceilings, and the impossible becomes real. You might find yourself drifting on a cloud of cotton candy or catching fruit-flavored rain to make a bowl of shaved ice. That world, tucked inside a picture book, is simply waiting for a hand to reach out and a story to unfold. It is an essential place where imagination first ignites for the smallest of readers. Bringing these extraordinary worlds to Thai society and pushing beyond the story between the lines has been Nanmeebooks' vision and honor for over 30 years. In recent years, Korean content and culture have gained widespread popularity across all age groups in Th...

VOL.94 / 2026.05

[TREND / TOPIC]

Why People Seeking Advice from ChatGPT Still Turn Their Backs on "One-Click Books"

Topic Why People Seeking Advice from ChatGPT Still Turn Their Backs on "One-Click Books" 2026.04 AI Publications Denied for Legal Deposit The legal deposit system in Korea is a mandatory system where all books issued an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) must be submitted to the National Library of Korea and the National Assembly Library. The purpose of this system is to preserve library materials as national literature for future generations and to support parliamentary activities. The libraries receive two copies from the publisher and provide compensation for the cost of one copy. However, an investigation by the Hankook Ilbo revealed that last year, for the first time since their opening, both the National Library of Korea and the National Assembly Library refused the legal deposit of AI-generated publications. In particular, it caused a significa...

VOL.93 / 2026.04

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

The Expansion of Korea’s Picture Book Market

Knowledge The Expansion of Korea’s Picture Book Market 2026.01.05 At some point, Korean picture books began making headlines. Korean authors are now frequent winners of Italy’s Bologna Ragazzi Award, one of the most prestigious prizes in the field. They have also produced award recipients of the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB) Award?one of the world’s oldest international picture book festivals, launched in 1967?as well as Sweden’s Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, often described as the Nobel Prize in children’s literature; the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest honor bestowed upon authors and illustrators of children’s literature; and France’s most prestigious children’s literature prize, the Prix Sorci?res. Plus, countless Korean picture books have been exported to countries around the world, earning the love of readers internationally. Most importantly, picture books have become central to Korea’s reading culture, ...

VOL.90 / 2026.01

[TREND / TOPIC]

Expanding the World of Books Through Book-Themed Merchandise

Topic Expanding the World of Books Through Book-Themed Merchandise 2025.12.01 The craze for book-themed merchandise At bookstores and book fairs across the country, what catches the eye as much as the books themselves these days is book-themed merchandise. From bookmarks, postcards, and stickers to keyrings, T-shirts, book covers, incense, and drip-bag coffee, objects orbiting around books have now become a form of publishing content in their own right. According to Kyobo Book Centre’s statistics, sales of reading accessories in 2024 rose by 28% compared to the previous year. The trend was evident at this year’s Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF), where nearly every publisher’s booth displayed merchandise beside their books, and readers purchased these items with enthusiasm equal to the books themselves.Some criticize this shift, arguing that merchandise is overshadowing books and accelerating the commercialization of publishing. However, the ph...

VOL.89 / 2025.12

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

The Third Chapter of the Korea Picture Book Award: The New Landscape of Korean Picture Books

Knowledge The Third Chapter of the Korea Picture Book Award:The New Landscape of Korean Picture Books 2025.12.01 The Introduction of the “Korea Picture Book Award” and the Winners in 2025 The “Korea Picture Book Award,” jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST) and the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), marks its 3rd year since its launch in 2023. This year, a total of 9 titles were selected: 2 Grand Prize winners (one each in Fiction and Nonfiction), 6 Special Prize winners (2 Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Awards and 4 President of the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea Awards), and 1 Rookie of the Year Award recipient. Eligible works were picture books created, published, and distributed in Korea between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. The total prize amount was KRW 112 million - KRW 85 million awarded to authors, and KRW 3 million granted to each publisher of the winni...

VOL.89 / 2025.12

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

Models for Supporting Connections between Local Bookstores and Libraries

Knowledge Models for Supporting Connectionsbetween Local Bookstores and Libraries 2025.10.02 The publishing market is said to be facing increasing difficulties day by day. The most fundamental problem is the decline in the reading rate - in other words, the shrinking number of readers. However, rather than lamenting the decrease in readers, now is the time to make efforts to sustain and expand the readership. Then, what are the things that move most closely with readers for the promotion of reading? Libraries and local bookstores. According to the Value-Added Tax Act Article 8 of the Publishing Industry Promotion Act, a local bookstore refers to a bookstore that registers as a retail business for books and is operated by a small or medium-sized enterprise in accordance with Article 2 of the Framework Act on Small and Medium Enterprises. In this article, however, the term “local bookstore” encompasses independent bookstores, curated bookstores, and concept...

VOL.87 / 2025.10

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

The Korean Children’s Book Association Marks its 45th Anniversary

Knowledge The Korean Children’s Book Association Marks its 45th Anniversary Reading, sharing, and promoting books 2025.08.04 The Korean Children’s Book Association (KCBA) is an organization founded in 1980 that promotes a culture of reading among children in Korea. It marks its 45th anniversary this year. The 1970s, the period before the KCBA’s founding, was a time when human rights were severely violated in Korea, with freedom of speech and publishing being taken away amidst the oppression and repression of the dictatorship. Against this backdrop, teachers formed reading circles focused on children’s books to discover and introduce to children literature that captures Korean sentiments and culture. Then, in 1980, the KCBA was formed to carry out the campaign for children’s reading culture in earnest.The KCBA’s activities spread from teacher- to parent-oriented in the 1990s, and local clubs named “Adults Reading Children’s Books (동화읽는어른모임)...

VOL.85 / 2025.08

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

2023 Publishing Statistics & 2024 Publishing Market Outlook

Publishing Industry 2023 Trends in the Korean Publishing Market and 2024 Forecast 2024.01.02 2023 Trends: Growth in self-help, comics, and parenting books As the COVID-19 pandemic turned endemic in the spring of 2023, travel books saw a resurgence in popularity. The popularity of anime such as Slam Dunk has led to increased sales of manga, and popular YouTubers have joined the publishing market using manga characters. In addition, books by popular writers for grown-up readers, such as physicist Kim Sang-Wook, have been transformed into children’s educational comics. * K-Book Trends Vol. 42 ? Go to the interview of writer Kim Sang-Wook In addition, despite recording the world’s lowest birth rate, the popularity of books on raising children in Korea has increased. While the market for marriage,...

VOL.66 / 2024.01

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

Korean Libraries’ Various Book-reading Activities and Cooperation Efforts with the Publishing Industry

Publishing Industry Korean Libraries’ Various Book-reading Activitiesand Cooperation Efforts with the Publishing Industry 2023.11.06 Libraries are public service organizations that are easily accessible to anyone in their daily lives when it comes to reading activities. The Korean Library Act also defines a library as a place that contributes to the promotion of reading culture based on library materials. After the Korean government designated 1993 as the “Year of Books,” the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and publishing organizations carried out vigorous campaigns to promote reading among the public. They pushed for the enactment of the “Reading Promotion Act (tentative title)” as a basis for more systematic and continuous promotion. In the process, as discussions progressed with the library community, the Li...

VOL.64 / 2023.11

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

Arts Council Korea’s Munhak Nanum Book Distribution Project

Publishing Policy Arts Council Korea’s Munhak Nanum Book Distribution Project 2023.02.20 Leading the development of the publishing market and promoting reading culture: Munhak Nanum Book Distribution Project The Munhak Nanum Book Distribution Project, organized by Arts Council Korea, has been putting the utmost effort into promoting publishing culture and reading opportunities by selecting and distributing excellent literary books. Among a total of 6 categories ? poetry, fiction, non-fiction, review, play, children/young adult, and literature, the project selects and supports first-edition literary books (non-co-written) published within the specified period! About 500 titles are chosen each year, then distributed to various organizations such as libraries, local cultural centers, and social welfare facilities! Selection Criteria ? Creativeness and ...

VOL.55 / 2023.02

VOL.94/2026.05

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