VOL.69/2024.04

 

Today and Tomorrow of the Korean Standard Publishing Distribution Data Hub System

 

2023.09.04

 

 

 

Current status of the Korean Standard Publishing Distribution Data Hub System (KOPDS)

 

When Song-In Books, a large South Korean book wholesaler, went bankrupt in 2017, many publishers were left in a state of chaos. Publishers suffered a lot of losses because they were unable to keep track of which books were in which bookstores, and how many copies were in stock and sold. This prompted the creation of the Korean Standard Publishing Distribution Data Hub System (KOPDS), which was built in accordance with the Fourth Five-Year Plan for the Promotion of Publishing Culture, reflecting the need to build an advanced distribution system for the publishing industry. The system was launched in September 2021. The purpose of developing the system was to establish an efficient and transparent publication and distribution system by collectively managing information on book production, distribution, and sales.

 

 

More than two years after its opening, KOPDS is connected to the National Library of Korea’s ISBN, ISSN, and deposit system, large bookstores such as Kyobo Bookstore, Yes24, Aldine, and Youngpung Bookstore, wholesalers such as Korea Publishers Cooperative, and local bookstores to generate and deliver publishers’ book information. It also receives sales, inventory, and reader data from them and provides it to publishers. As of August 14, 3,629 publishers are registered, and 422,121 types of book information are currently available.

 

 

In addition, to make it easier for publishers to utilize KOPDS, the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea’s Seoul office holds weekly training sessions to teach publishers how to use the system. In addition, staff from the system visit publishers, bookstores, and libraries from time to time to provide training.
The main members of the system include local bookstores and libraries. They can establish plans for stocking and purchasing books based on new and upcoming book information entered by publishers. The latest book information from publishers used to only go to large bookstores for sale, but the system can reduce the information gap. Also, by making use of the catalog function, you can create a customized book list for your bookstore or library and provide it to visitors.
Plus, the general public can access various statistics on the KOPDS website. The system provides book sales statistics (number of copies sold and revenue) online and offline based on the International Standard Category Classification. It also has readership statistics by gender, age group, and region, which can provide statistics on the publishing industry for the general public and help publishers develop marketing plans.
The system also publishes newsletters, makes card-styled news on Instagram, and organizes conferences to reach out to users. In July, an event was organized to share publishing cases that utilized the system and ChatGPT, a recent buzzword.

 

 

The future of KOPDS

 

In the future, KOPDS plans to make various system improvements to help publishers systematically manage book information, and to collaborate with large bookstores and wholesalers to collect market information in one place and provide it to publishers. In addition to collecting statistics on the publishing market, the system is also preparing to provide analysis and use cases to publishers, which can be used as a basis for business management and marketing strategies. Currently, Korea uses a dual system in which the National Library of Korea issues ISBNs and deposits books, while KOPDS registers book information. Regarding this, we are in discussions with the National Library of Korea to ensure that data flows smoothly between the two channels.
In Korea, the Korea Box-office Information System (KOBIS) and the Korea Performing Arts Box-office Information System (KOPIS) are legislated and mandated to collect sales data, while KOPDS is not. This is an area that requires close cooperation with bookstores, publishers, and the government to set policy directions. International exchange of book information is also necessary. KOPDS is based on ONIX (Online Information Exchange), an international standard for book information, and book information is managed by publishers. Therefore, it is also necessary to exchange information with countries using the same ONIX infrastructure or countries operating a similar network system like Korea’s KOPDS, such as Canada, Germany, France, and Japan.
Informatization is also an inevitable task for the culture and arts industry. I hope that through cooperation with various organizations at home and abroad, Korea’s quality publishing content will be introduced overseas with foreign books imported to Korea, and sales statistics will be exchanged with each other in the near future.

 

 

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Written by Lee Chang-Min (Team Manager at the Publication Data System Management Team, KPIPA)