[Report] Woongjin ThinkBig Unveils 'Booxtory' in Korea for the First Time... Hands-On Review Shows Why CES Was Impressed

Immersive Reading Enabled by Generative AI-Based Audiovisual Effects
From Language and Voice Selection to Song Creation and OX Quizzes
"Currently in Beta... Aiming for Official Launch in October"

There were moments when a snowstorm raged, and at other times, applause erupted. Simply turning a page in a storybook triggered the narration to play automatically, and the story seemed to come alive before the reader's eyes. The audiovisual effects implemented on the tablet screen transformed the traditional reading experience into an immersive one.

On August 2, at the Woongjin ThinkBig 45th Anniversary Open House held at Paju Book City in Gyeonggi Province, the venue was bustling with families and children from the morning, as it was both the official opening day and a Saturday. Inside, the "Future Learning Lab" was set up as an experience zone where visitors could freely try out various edtech solutions such as Lingocity and WithKingdom. Guided by staff, children enthusiastically explored the learning programs, and parents also appeared to enjoy themselves.

On the 2nd, parents and children are experiencing Edutech solutions at the 'Future Learning Lab' within Woongjin Thinkbig's 45th Anniversary Open House located in Paju Publishing Complex, Gyeonggi-do. Woongjin Group

Among the offerings, "Booxtory" particularly stood out. Booxtory is a next-generation reading platform newly developed by applying generative artificial intelligence (AI) to the augmented reality (AR) reading solution "ARpedia," which was previously launched. In January of this year, it won the Best of Innovation Award in the AI category at CES 2025, the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition, and was unveiled to the public in its beta version for the first time on this day.

The usage was simple. Users only needed to install the Booxtory application on a tablet PC or other mobile device and scan the desired picture book. The generative AI recognizes the book and, as the reader turns the pages, automatically plays graphics, subtitles, and audio effects in real time to match the scenes. Kim Jurang, head of the ARpedia Business Team, explained, "This is a reading platform that can read every picture book in every language, in every voice in the world."

Bookstory is recognizing a scene from the English picture book "Frozen" and playing voice, subtitles, and screen effects in real time. Photo by Choi Hokyung

The picture book experienced by the reporter that day was "Frozen." When the narration said, "It was winter," as Elsa and Anna played inside the castle, a snowstorm effect appeared on the tablet PC screen. The AI also created and played songs on the spot to match the flow of the story. Booxtory currently supports five languages, including Korean, English, and Spanish, and also allows for dual subtitle settings. In the future, language support will be expanded to more than 30 countries. Voices can be selected not only by language but also by character (such as grandfather, mother, baby, etc.). The platform also offers OX quizzes like "Did I fall in love with Prince Hans?" to help children understand the story and learn languages.

Booxtory is also equipped with features that allow users to apply their own faces and voices. The face is taken from the user's profile photo registered on the tablet PC, and for the voice, users can record themselves reading a 30-second script, which the AI then analyzes and applies. As a result, users can see themselves singing fluently in Spanish on the screen. In particular, if a parent records their voice, the child can listen to the story in their mother's voice at any time, enhancing their sense of immersion.

On the Bookstory screen, various menus such as listening to songs, language and voice settings, and quizzes are displayed along with a scene from the English picture book "Elemental." Woongjin Group

Kim Cheolho (34), who experienced Booxtory with his two children on this day, said, "At first, I thought it was just a simple audiobook, but the tone of voice and background music matched the content of the book perfectly, conveying even the emotions. My children said it felt as if their mother was reading the book next to them." Kim Jurang added, "If you record the mother's voice and let the child listen to it, especially when they ask to read the same book repeatedly, it can also help emotionally."

Booxtory is currently under development with a planned launch in October. Before then, the beta version will be available for preview at the open house on weekends and public holidays throughout August.