100 Publishers and Agencies from 30 Countries Gather in Seoul
Lotte Hotel World in Songpa-gu Hosts the Event Until June 18
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on June 16 that, together with the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea, it will hold the '2025 K-Book Copyright Market' from June 16 to 18 at Lotte Hotel World in Songpa-gu, Seoul to support copyright export transactions and exchanges for domestic publishing companies.
The 'K-Book Copyright Market' is a business-to-business (B2B) event that has been held annually since 2018, inviting overseas companies to Korea for export consultations on copyrights and intellectual property (IP) with domestic publishers. The event includes one-on-one (1:1) export consultations between domestic and international participants, investment promotion presentations (IR pitching) and seminars for domestic participants, export consulting, and networking events (receptions) for domestic and international companies. English interpreters will be provided for each consultation, and additional interpreters for other special languages will also be available as needed.
This year, in particular, 17 leading overseas publishing companies have been invited and, for the first time, an open call process will be conducted in parallel to increase the number of actual contracts. In the open call, 195 companies from major countries applied, reflecting the high level of overseas interest in K-Books, and 83 companies were selected based on the needs and satisfaction of domestic publishers.
Among the overseas participants, there are not only publishers and agencies but also broadcasters, online video service (OTT) companies, platforms, and content production companies. The scope of export consultations (genres) will also be expanded from the previous focus on literature and children's picture books to include non-fiction, comics, and digital publishing. If follow-up consultations are needed after the event, online consultations will be provided to further enhance export opportunities.
100 Publishers and Agencies from 30 Countries Visit Korea
This year, companies from a wide range of countries will participate in export consultations. A total of 100 companies from 30 countries will visit Korea, including those from Asian regions such as Japan, Taiwan, and Malaysia, as well as from Europe and the Americas, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States, and Mexico. Notably, publishing companies from Russia, Romania, Lithuania, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Armenia will participate for the first time this year, raising expectations for the expansion of Korean publishing content into the European market.
Major overseas publishing companies such as Harper Collins Publishers USA and Penguin Random House from the United States, Tuttle-Mori Agency, Inc. from Japan, and Nanmeebooks Co., Ltd. from Thailand will hold a total of approximately 1,800 export consultations with 100 domestic companies, including Dasan Books, Wisdom House, Book Mentor, and Gilbut Children. Last year, 98 domestic companies and 100 companies from 29 countries held a total of 1,646 export consultations.
As domestic publishing intellectual property (IP) is exported in various forms such as overseas dramas, films, animations, and performances, consultations will also be supported between domestic companies and overseas content production companies utilizing IP. A total of 27 companies from 17 countries, including Editorial Planeta from Spain, as well as companies from Taiwan, Germany, and Japan, will participate, along with domestic IP companies such as Reverse, Bukgeukyeou, and RS Media, to further vitalize the export of original publishing content.
24 Domestic Publishers Hold Investment Promotion Presentations for Overseas Participants
On June 16 and 17, 24 domestic companies, including Bookgoodom, Mongsangadeul, Hansolsubook, and Wiseman Books, will hold investment promotion presentations (IR pitching) for overseas participants. In addition, four export experts specializing in the Chinese-speaking region, Asia, the Americas, and Europe will provide practical export consultations for domestic publishers. The publications of domestic participants will be displayed in the event lobby to promote books and encourage additional consultations.
Furthermore, overseas participants will also attend the 'Seoul International Book Fair', which opens on June 18, the last day of the event, to continue additional business meetings and exchanges with domestic publishers who did not participate in the 'Copyright Market'.
Lim Sunghwan, Director General for Media Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "As the international standing of K-Books has recently risen, exports of copyrights and publishing intellectual property (IP) are also becoming more active." He added, "The Ministry will diversify the export sectors of K-Books and pioneer new potential export markets, including holding book fairs that directly reach overseas markets, to promote the leap and growth of the Korean Wave in publishing."
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