Seoul International Book Fair Opens on June 18... Ministry of Culture Supports Events and Promotion for 131 Publishers

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to Support 131 Domestic Publishers at Seoul International Book Fair
Support Provided for 100 Overseas Publishers and Agencies from 30 Countries

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea, will support the program operations and promotional activities of 131 domestic publishers participating in the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair. Marking its 67th edition this year, the Seoul International Book Fair will be held from June 18 to 22 at COEX Hall A and Hall B1 in Seoul.

Last year, visitors were browsing books at the Seoul International Book Fair held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

The Ministry and the Promotion Agency are implementing support initiatives to ease the burden on domestic publishers participating in the book fair. A total of 131 publishers?including 80 individual booth participants, 42 joint booth participants, and 9 Book Village participants?will receive support for the following: organizing author events and reader experience programs, renting booth operation equipment, and conducting both online and offline promotional activities.

Representative programs supported this year include: the literature webzine Lim’s “Seo Yunbin X Silly Lab: 3D Media Art Experience,” a game-style art experience program collaboratively created by an author and a media artist; Inmun Sanchaek’s “Drawing Palace Landscapes,” a program where participants use coloring books to paint beautiful palace scenes in watercolor; Ddal Sepo’s “Because I’m a Daughter, I’ll Tell Only You,” a book signing event with author Park Haram; a book signing with author Choi Jinyoung, whose book “My Pocket Is Clear and Strong Wind (Find)” was selected for the Seoul International Book Fair’s new releases “Summer, First Book”; and among the “Book Talk” programs, a lecture by author Eunyoo from “Anyway, Interview (Jecheolso).” In addition, the support extends to promotional expenses such as the production of videos, card news, web banners, posters, and fan merchandise (goods).

Furthermore, the Ministry will support the participation of 100 overseas publishers and agencies from 30 countries attending the “K-Book Copyright Market (June 16?18),” encouraging exchanges with domestic publishers, promoting Korean publications, and facilitating additional export consultations at the book fair. The “K-Book Copyright Market” is an annual business-to-business (B2B) event that invites overseas companies to Korea for copyright and intellectual property (IP) export consultations with domestic publishers.

Lim Seonghwan, Director General for Media Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, “The Seoul International Book Fair is a valuable asset for the publishing industry, bringing together various stakeholders from publishing, bookstores, reading, and libraries, as well as readers, to communicate in one place. As interest in K-Books continues to rise both domestically and internationally, we will further strengthen our support for the growth of the publishing industry, including the Seoul International Book Fair.”