A promotional poster for the 2026 K-Book Copyright Market / Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Korea has conquered global airwaves with its pop music and dominated television screens with its sleek dramas. Now, Seoul is making its most aggressive push yet to ensure that the next global Korean wave phenomenon begins on the printed page.
Publishers and media executives from 31 countries gathered at the Lotte Hotel World in Seoul, Monday, for the opening of the 2026 K-Book Copyright Market. The three-day event, now in its eighth year, has quietly evolved into Korea’s premier business-to-business forum for literary rights. It serves as a vital pipeline for expanding the international footprint of Korean books and intellectual property.
Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism alongside the Korea Publishing Industry Promotion Agency, this year’s market matches 100 domestic firms with 100 overseas buyers for an estimated 1,850 one-on-one consultations.
The stakes are increasingly high.
