New York Book Fair on the Road Held September 4-5
Consultations between 15 Korean Companies and 46 North American Companies
Participation by Major Publishers Like Penguin Random House, “The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, alongside the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea, announced on the 4th that they will host the ‘New York Book Fair on the Road’ from September 4-5 at the NYC Seminar & Conference Center in New York, USA.”,
Direct Export Consultations Between 15 Korean Publishers and 46 U.S. Companies, Involvement by the Top 5 Global Publishers, “Fifteen Korean publishers, including Munhakdongne, Changbi, Dasan Books, and Woongjin Think Big, will participate directly in the New York consultations. The BC Agency will handle export consultations for 100 delegated books from Korean publishers unable to attend in person.”,
From the U.S., major publishers like Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster, known as part of the ‘top five global publishers,’ are participating. Renowned literary agencies like Trident Media Group and The Wylie Agency, along with digital and audio content companies such as OverDrive and Recorded Books, will conduct export consultations for paper books and various publishing intellectual properties (IP).
Increased U.S. Market Entry for ‘K-Books’ through Literary Awards and Rights Exports, “There is growing interest in ‘K-books’ in the U.S. market, evidenced by major literary awards and bestsellers. For example, poet Kim Hyesoon’s ‘Phantom Pain Wings’ (Munhakgwa Jiseongsa) became the first Korean title to win the Poetry category at the 2024 National Book Critics Circle Awards, and artist Cha Ho-yun’s picture book ‘Finding a Dragon’ (Open Children) became the first Korean book to receive a Caldecott Honor in 2025. Author Kim Soo-ji’s romance fantasy web novel ‘Under the Oak Tree’ was published as a paper book in the USA in 2024 and reached 7th in the New York Times Hardcover Fiction Bestseller List. Lee Min-jin’s ‘Pachinko’ (Influential) was selected as one of the top 100 books of the 21st century by the New York Times in 2024.”
“Especially, with the unique cultural elements of Korea and the influence of ‘K-culture,’ Korean genres such as mystery, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, romance, essays, web novels, and webtoons are actively entering the U.S. market. Works like ‘If We Cannot Move at the Speed of Light’ by Kim Cho-yeop (Hubble) and ‘The Dream Department Store’ by Im Miae (Factory Ninety-nine) are noteworthy examples.”
Expanding ‘K-Book’ Reach in North America, A New Chapter for Korean Publishing’s Global Expansion, “Furthermore, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is enhancing accessibility to ‘K-books’ through overseas Korean cultural centers, with newly recommended and exhibited books catering to local needs. As the first step, the Korean Cultural Center New York (Director Kim Chun-soo) has newly recommended and is exhibiting 332 children’s books, with a local reader event featuring children’s author Park Hyun-min scheduled in September.”
Im Seong-hwan, Director of the Media Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, “The U.S. publishing market has high entry barriers, but once entered, it becomes a strategic gateway to the world market. We will use ‘New York Book Fair on the Road’ as a turning point to promote ‘K-books’ in North America and ensure Korean publishing cements its place globally by diversifying our support to match different markets and fields for expanded entry.”