VOL.93/2026.04

 

Eulyoo Publishing Co., Ltd.

The living history of humanities publishing in Korea

 

2025.09.04

 

History’s greatest legacy lies in its records?and these records inevitably form the story of publishing. There is a publisher that began its history alongside Korea’s independence: Eulyoo Publishing Co., Ltd., founded on December 1, 1945. For 80 years, Eulyoo Publishing has demonstrated the enduring significance of books?always with depth and weight, and always in step with the changing times. In this month’s issue, we take a closer look at the remarkable publishing legacy of Eulyoo Publishing.

 

 

It’s a pleasure to have you with us on K-Book Trends. Could you please introduce Eulyoo Publishing to our international readers, along with the meaning of its name?

 

Eulyoo Publishing was established on December 1, 1945?the year of eulyoo (乙酉年; the Year of the Rooster)?to commemorate the joy and significance of Korea’s independence, under the conviction that “publishing is nation-building.” Since then, walking in step with modern Korean history, we have published more than 7,000 titles while upholding the traditions and authenticity of Korean publishing.

 

Eulyoo Publishing is often described as the foundation and living witness of Korean publishing history. Could you highlight key milestones and titles from your 80-year history?

 

Our very first title was Handwriting Workbook, published to help restore Hangul, the Korean alphabet. This was followed by the poetry collection The Blue Deer Anthology, novels such as Three Generations and Lim Keok Jeon?all works representing pivotal currents in post-liberation Korean literature. We also published landmark works such as the Korean Dictionary and Korean History, and pioneered Korea’s paperback culture through series like Eulyoo Mungo (1948?1988) and the first World Literature Series (1959?1975).

 

 

Today, we continue this legacy with acclaimed titles such as The Selfish Gene, A History of Western Philosophy, What Do Cities Live By, The Letter Landscape, and the Decision To Leave. Our ongoing series includes the relaunched Eulyoo World Literature Series?revived fifty years after its first launch; Eulyoo Classics of Thought, which collects timeless works of intellectual achievement; Masters of Modern Art, which illuminates the lives and works of great artists; and the Darkroom Series, which probes new possibilities in contemporary world literature.

 

 

With such a long history and such a large body of notable titles, it doesn’t seem easy to single out “representative works.” Among them, what does the Eulyoo World Literature Series?continuing since 1959?represent?

 

Eulyoo Publishing was the first in Korea to publish the World Literature Series in 1959. In 2008?fifty years later?we relaunched it as the new Eulyoo World Literature Series to meet the demands of a changing era. Under the banner of reviving classical world literature, we worked to reinterpret the value of well-known classics through modern translations and commentary, while at the same time actively discovering literary works from regions unfamiliar to Korean readers?Africa, the Arab world, Southeast Asia, and Latin America?in order to build a truly comprehensive world literature series. Our goal is to publish 300 volumes by 2045, our centennial year, so that the series can serve as both a guide and a companion for new generations of readers.

 

 

For humanities book lovers, Eulyoo Publishing has long been a trusted name. Do you apply particular standards to publishing in this field? Also, could you recommend some representative humanities titles of yours?

 

Rather than enforcing uniquely rigid criteria, we?like other publishers?strive to reflect both readers’ needs and the spirit of the times in our humanities list. Representative examples include architect Yoo Hyun-Joon’s What Do Cities Live By, Space Created by Space, and Yoo Hyun-Joon’s Architectural Journey Through Humanities; typography researcher Yu Ji-Won’s The Letter Landscape; classicist Kim Hun’s Kim Hun’s Greek and Roman Mythology; and art director Yoon Hye-jeong’s Life, Art.

 

 

Eulyoo Publishing is also known for the outstanding translations in the Eulyoo Classics of Thought series. What do you think were the drivers behind such accomplishments?

 

Our late founder, Chung Jin-Sook, said, “Publishing is not a business for profit, but a cultural endeavor in service to society.” Monumental undertakings such as the Korean Dictionary and Korean History each took nearly a decade and survived near-failures before they were completed. The Eulyoo Classics of Thought is likewise a series sustained by a deep sense of mission. We see ourselves as carrying that vision forward.

 

You have also led ambitious projects, from the Eulyoo World Literature Series to the New Korean Literature Series, New Korean Fiction Series, and Representative Korean Women Writers Series. What challenges have you faced so far, and what has sustained your commitment?

 

Looking back, we have never been a publisher that relied on bestsellers selling hundreds of thousands of copies?yet our books have held their own. Our founder believed that if there was a “book others avoided but that truly needed to be published,” it was our duty to take it on. She believed that was the true responsibility and duty of a publisher, and the books you mention are the very results of that conviction.

 

 

Many publishers branch out into imprints, but Eulyoo Publishing has continued to publish under a single name. Is there a special reason?

 

Imprints can work like an in-house venture system, but at our scale, we have found it more effective to strengthen and preserve the distinct identity of Eulyoo Publishing as a brand.

 

You recently returned to the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF) for the first time in a decade, marking your 80th anniversary. What trends did you observe there, and how do you view the future of publishing?

 

Since assessing current publishing and reading trends and forecasting the future lies beyond our capacity, it is difficult for us to offer a definitive view. Still, if I may venture a cautious view, even in the AI era represented by ChatGPT, independent publishing will not disappear, and a range of publishing models will continue to exist side by side. The market itself is also likely to diversify further. We cannot say with certainty which path is the “right” one, but we will keep searching for ways forward that stay in step with the times while remaining true to what only Eulyoo Publishing can offer.

 

While carrying forward the long-standing tradition and publishing philosophy, Eulyoo Publishing also stands out for its efforts to engage with younger readers. Could you tell us more about how you keep pace with current trends while reaching out to a broader and more diverse readership?

 

Most publishers aim to be general publishers, and we, too, do not insist on limiting ourselves to specific fields. Even so, we believe there are areas that best suit the identity of Eulyoo Publishing. Centering on the subjects our readers favor?the humanities, the arts, and literature?we strive to present content that carries the distinctive character of our brand.

 

 

We will go on seeking ways to keep pace with the changing times while continuing to
uphold the distinctive approach that defines Eulyoo Publishing.

 

 

Could you introduce any books you would especially like to present to international readers, or that you are currently preparing to bring to them?

 

To mark the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation, we are preparing Children of the Empire by Lee Young-Eun of Nihon University, which collects and annotates stories written by Korean children during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Other forthcoming titles include The Philosophy of Caring for Myself by Moon Sung-Hoon, Professor of Modern Philosophy at Seoul Women’s University, which centers on Michel Foucault’s concept of “care of the self” and?drawing on the insights of multiple philosophers?proposes ways to care for oneself, seek healing, and pursue a good life; and Screenology by Lee Hyun-Jin, Professor of Media Art at Yonsei University, which offers a critical reading of contemporary society as screen technologies turn entire cities into vast canvases, among others.

 

Eulyoo Publishing is also well known for creating and freely distributing its own font, “Eulyoo 1945.” What prompted the creation of the font, and what does it signify? Could you also share something about how it was developed?

 

“Eulyoo 1945” embodies our philosophy of beopgochangshin (法古創新; learning from the old to create the new). This typeface reinterprets the triangular stroke endings of classical myeongjo (serif) characters collected from the publisher’s old books, applying them to the framework of Korean haeseo (楷書; regular script) myeongjo (serif). The project revives our long-standing mission to develop typefaces and reaffirms our belief that fonts?the visual voices of our language?are part of publishing’s cultural contribution to society.

 

 

In the spirit of beopgochangshin, Eulyoo Publishing has spent 80 years imbuing each book with profound meaning. We pay tribute to this legacy and to the future it continues to shape. Could you please share with us your vision and goals for the years ahead?

 

In the past, when we thought of the saying “learning from the old to create the new,” we tended to limit “the old” to “books” alone. Now, however, we seek to embrace and internalize a broader range of traditions, cultures, and the arts, and to give them form through publishing as books. This reflects our awareness that today’s world calls for broader perspectives and deeper reflection. In this spirit, we are determined to keep asking what publishing can do and what it must do, and to continue striving with unrelenting dedication in that pursuit.

 

 

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