VOL.69/2024.04

 

Jakkajungsin Publishing Co.

With faith and affection for books

 

2024.04.01

 

Jakkajungsin Publishing, a publishing house that has been fiercely and steadfastly upholding the spirit of writers, celebrates its 37th anniversary this year. Times have changed, and so have readers, too, but Jakkajungsin Publishing’s deep faith and love for books have kept it true to its original mission. Starting with literature and expanding to humanities, liberal arts, non-fiction, business, and children’s books, the company has pioneered its own path, communicating with readers while never forgetting the meaning and importance of books. The determination to make books that uplift the soul and awaken the spirit of readers, as well as books that can give strength and courage to readers living in difficult times, showed the passion it had at the beginning. Following is an interview with Jakkajungsin Publishing, which has been meeting readers with quality, mature books that have been built up over the years.

 

 

It’s a pleasure to have you with us on K-Book Trends. Please introduce Jakkajungsin Publishing to our international readers and provide the meaning of the company’s name.

 

Established in 1987, Jakkajungsin Publishing took its first steps with the desire to “discover works with a strong writer’s spirit” and the determination to “publish works that do not compromise the writer’s spirit.” Starting with literature, Jakkajungsin Publishing has steadily expanded its horizons to include humanities, liberal arts, and non-fiction. In 1988, The publishing house opened “Gyeongyeong Jungsin (meaning ‘management spirit’),” a brand specializing in business books, and in 2003, “Eorini Jakkajungsin (child writer’s spirit),” a brand specializing in children’s books.

 

Jakkajungsin Publishing goes into its 37th year this year, and we are curious to know what has kept the company publishing for so long.

 

The publishing industry was and is having a challenging time, but what has kept us going for so long is basically our faith and love for the value of books. Sometimes, we led the changes of the times, sometimes we dared to go against the trend, and in doing so, we have made our own way through the twists and turns of the world.

 

 

We publish books with faith and love for the value of books.

 

 

You have been promoting “works with fierce writer’s spirit” and “publishing without compromising the writer’s spirit.” What do you mean by “writer’s spirit,” and how do you try to convey it in your books?

 

The meaning of our mission of writer’s spirit can be interpreted in many ways, but we believe it lies in the phrases “works with fierce writer’s spirit” and “publishing without compromising the writer’s spirit.” We think that the word “fierce” refers to the passion to maximize one’s potential, and the word “without compromising” refers to the grit to stand up for what one believes to be right without being swayed by trends. Jakkajungsin Publishing strives to discover and publish books with such passion and grit, while not losing sight of the meaning and importance of our name in the course of publishing.
As a result of such efforts, books such as My Beautiful Neighbors by Park Wan-Suh, filled with satire, humor, and wit, Life of Pi, the top bestseller among the Man Booker Prize winners, and Moby Dick, the first complete translation in Korea, have been loved by many readers to this day. Also, our literary series have been recognized for their innovative concepts and high-quality composition, including “Fiction, Hyang,” a series of mid-length novels by representative Korean writers, and “Fiction, Connection,” a series of novels by modern and contemporary female writers that span a hundred years of time and space.
In addition, we have been committed to meeting the diverse intellectual appetites of our readers with a broad spectrum of genres, from biographies of people who have shaped society and culture, to heartwarming and thought-provoking essays from home and abroad, to art and science, to history and liberal art titles that cross over into imaginative narratives. Also, we have a wide range of series, including the Tolstoy Full Collection, translated and collected from the original Russian, and the Hachette Classics, featuring the best translations and the best illustrations.

 

 

While both the “Fiction, Connection” and “Fiction, Hyang” series are about fiction, what are the specific differences between them?

 

“Fiction, Hyang,” a series of mid-length novels introduced in 1998 with the slogan “The scent of fiction, the home of fiction,” was designed to revitalize the then-depressed literary publishing industry, and has since generated significant resonance as a trend leading to the lightweight and the popularization of novels. “Fiction, Hyang” is the second generation of the series, following the first generation of “Fiction, Scent,” with the new slogan “The home of fiction, the influence of fiction, and the direction of fiction.” In 2020, a total of 8 books were published, starting with Kim Sa-Gwa’s Zero (original title - ‘0 영 ZERO 零’), and Lee Seung-U’s A Room With a Bathtub was also introduced to readers as the first book of “Fiction, Scent – Remind,” a series of selected masterpieces from the first generation “Fiction, Scent.” Through “Fiction, Hyang,” we aim to continue presenting novels by representative writers of our literary circle as well as newly emerging young writers.
“Fiction, Connection” is a series of major works by modern female writers, and their rewritings are in the form of short stories and essays by contemporary female writers. A century after the debut of the first modern female writer, Kim Myung-Soon, the series was designed to examine the roots, present, and future of Korean literature. We seek to take a fresh look at the major works of representative modern female writers who have not received the attention they deserve, such as Kang Kyung-Ae, Na Hye-Suk, Baek Shin-Ae, Ji Ha-Ryeon, and Lee Sun-Hee, through the lens of today’s beloved contemporary female writers. Through the solidarity of these women across a hundred years, we will be able to reflect on how their thoughts and minds are different and alike, and whether the foundations of our world can be changed.

 

 

Korea has recently been trying to create a more senior-friendly reading culture and environment. Looking at Jakkajungsin Publishing’s publication list, it seems that you have published many large print books. Since large print books have not yet taken off in Korea in terms of market and revenue, we would like to know whether you have any particular reason or purpose for re-publishing your books in large print.

 

A large print book is a book with letters more than twice as large as a standard book, and once produced, it is distributed to bookstores and libraries across the country. We thought it would be a great opportunity to make books more widely available to vulnerable readers, such as the elderly and those with low vision. We focused on public interest rather than profitability, and we are grateful that many writers empathized with the purpose of the large print book and were willing to participate.

 

In addition to Jakkajungsin Publishing, you also have another brand, “Eorini Jakkajungsin (meaning ‘child writer’s spirit’).” Please tell us about the brand and introduce some of its representative works.

 

“Eorini Jakkajungsin” is a children’s book brand that has been publishing books in a variety of fields, including literature and liberal arts, to reach audiences from infants and children to adults.
It features a variety of series for upper and lower grades, including easy-to-read literature and “classics” that combine beautiful illustrations with carefully selected masterpieces. Moreover, starting with Park Wan-Suh’s 7 Years of Sleep, which has been nominated for the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor List and the International Youth Library in Munich’s White Ravens, we have been publishing picture books for all ages, from toddlers to adults, so that everyone can communicate through picture books, such as the original picture book series “Doran Doran Picture Books,” imaginative picture books from around the world “Jaejal Jaejal World Picture Books,” and the series “See the World Upside Down.”
We aim to make good books with the eyes and heart of a child, growing up with children.

 

 

What made you decide to split your brand into different genres and target audiences? What benefits do you see in terms of actual book sales or building relationships with readers?

 

It started with Jakkajungsin Publishing’s challenges of “choice” and “focus.” We wanted to “choose” the books we thought Jakkajungsin Publishing should be publishing, and “focus” on introducing them in greater depth and breadth. As a result, we were able to systematize editing, planning, promotion, and marketing, and our members were able to perform more effectively within an independent and creative work environment. Also, by expanding our brand, we were able to grow the size of the company and increase sales and profits.
Eorini Jakkajungsin celebrated its 20th-anniversary last year, and its “Classics” series, in particular, has become a favorite among general readers as well as art majors for its delicate reproductions of world classics by some of the best illustrators of the day. It has also been interacting with readers of all ages by introducing popular characters, such as the “Moomin” series. Splitting the brand like this has a number of advantages: while we stay as a humanities-focused publisher, we can, at the same time, expand and diversify the scope of the readership.

 

Jakkajungsin Publishing sometimes opens events for readers on Social Media, and recently, you organized a book club called “Jakkajungsin Book Club.” Please tell us about the book club as well as the events for readers.

 

The Jakkajungsin Book Club, whose motto is “Truly committed to reading books by Jakkajungsin Publishing,” has already reached its 12th season. The book club is a group of supporters who read one or two new books by Jakkajungsin Publishing a month, leave book reviews, and help promote the books, usually for six months. It has been 6 years now, and over that time, Jakkajungsin Publishing has gained loyal readers who read everything we publish, and even those who didn’t know us before have become interested in our books. As such, we were able to form a closer bond with our readers.
In terms of events for readers, we tend to offer new and diverse events depending on the characteristics of the book, such as organizing a book review group before the book is released. Other events include signing events with writers, book merchandise giveaways, sentence transcription events, and quiz events to encourage all people who love books and literature to enjoy fun and interesting events.

 

* Jakkajungsin Publishing - Official website, blog, Instagram

 

 

We seek to satisfy the diverse intellectual appetites of readers through our broad spectrum.

 

 

Please introduce some of the books you have published to our international readers that best represent the characteristics of Jakkajungsin Publishing.

 

First, we would like to introduce Bandaging by Yoon Yi-Hyung, which is part of the “Fiction, Hyang” series. It’s a bestseller that has been loved by many readers, with one of its sentences, “My dear daughter, be yourself,” being chosen as “Sentence of the Year” on an online bookstore. The book explores the meaning of true solidarity between women, and delicately touches on the complex and innermost feelings that arise in a relationship called friendship.
Also, the book Going Through Winter, by Cho Hae-Jin, is a tribute to all the mothers and daughters in the world who inevitably have to say goodbye to each other, featuring stories of people who, in the midst of loss, reach out to another person in pain. It is a work that sheds a warm light of hope through the lens of someone who cares about the pain and wounds of others.
Jung Ji-Don’s A Compilation of Works That I Think of Vaguely as Poems on LA/Driving, Recorded on a Small Digital Recorder While Driving from San Diego to Los Angeles at Dusk, is a series of 4 short stories set in Paris and Seoul. From Walter Benjamin’s walks to Captain America’s runs, the rich references and witty insights into “mobility” will keep you intrigued.

 

 

We truly look forward to the next steps of Jakkajungsin Publishing, which features a broad spectrum of works written with a fierce writer’s spirit. Can you tell us about your plans for new books or future goals?

 

Our short-term goal is to continue to publish Korean literary works, including “Fiction, Hyang” and “Fiction, Connection,” which are scheduled to be completed in 20 volumes and 9 volumes, respectively.
We will continue to uphold the hopes and determination we had at the beginning, producing books that lift the soul and awaken the spirit, as well as books that give strength and courage to readers living in difficult times.

 

 

---