VOL.93/2026.04

The Global Domino Effect of Korean Publishing in 2025 - Korean Books Spreading Region by Region

 

 

2026.02

 

 

 

About Clayhouse

 

Clayhouse is a publishing house that will celebrate its 5th anniversary in 2026, and under the catchphrase "A world of practical warmth that works in everyday life," it creates books that offer rest of weary minds. The phrase "Into the feel-good universe," found on the front flap of every book, serves as the publisher’s guiding compass. It defines the identity of Clayhouse, which has garnered global love through bestsellers such as Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, Rainbow Market, and I Decided to Live as Me. Three-quarters of its original titles have been sold internationally.In just four years, Clayhouse has secured over 120 foreign rights deals, with works currently being translated and published in more than 30 languages. While best known for their signature “healing novels,” Clayhouse is now expanding its horizons, transcending genres to presnt a diverse array of books that captivate readers worldwide.

 

 

 

 

 

The English-Speaking World: A Vast and Distant Ocean

 

To date, Clayhouse has successfully launched four titles into the English-speaking market. In 2022, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop was sold toBloomsbury in the UK. The following year, I Decided to Live as Me and Rainbow Market went to Penguin Random House. Finally, in 2025, rights for The Hyehwa-dong Lunchbox Grandma were sold toHachette in the UK and Penguin Random House in the US. The primary benefits of entering the English-speaking market include high advances and increased international recognition.Having a full English manuscript significantly expands the pool of professionals who can review the book in its entirety. This eliminates the need to produce separate sample translations, as a growing number of international publishers can now read the English edition first to evaluate rights acquisitions. Of course, given that English is the world's most widely spoken language, competition is undeniably fierce; editors are inundated daily with more submissions than they can possibly review. However, buoyed by the global popularity of Korean content, there appears to be a rising trend of editors specifically seeking manuscripts that capture a distinct Korean sensibility.

 

 

 

 

 

The European Market: Moving Forward Hand in Hand

 

As Europe functions largely as a single, massive community, a rights deal in one country often leads to rapid awareness of the book in others.Perhaps due to geographical proximity and linguistic similarities—especially compared to East Asian languages—there is a distinct sense that the European market moves in unison. However, this connectivity presents a challenge. With high English proficiency already prevalent and growing among the younger generation, many readers consume the English edition before a local translation can be released. Consequently, local publishers often find it difficult to acquire translation rights, fearing that the market demand has already been met.

 

 

 

 

The Asian Publishing Market: A Closely-Knit Neighborhood

 

First, exports to China and Japan face formidable barriers.AsJapan is a publishing powerhouse, it is not easy to enter the market by breaking through the competition caused by the overflowing production of local content and getting chosen. The Mainland Chinese market, which uses Simplified Chinese, tends to fluctuate frequently depending on the political situation. However, active communication is always maintained with Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand. While this is a global phenomenon nowadays, these countries have had a relatively high interest in Korean cultural content for a long time. There are many Korean language learners, and there are significant cultural similarities, such as in Buddhism and Confucianism. Since the languages are diverse and the number of users for each language is not very large, it is hard to expect the powerful scalability of the English-speaking world or Europe; however, geographical and cultural closeness certainly acts as a major advantage. Rather than focusing on major language groups in hopes of a jackpot,targeting several nearby countries first appears to be a good strategy.

 

 

 

 

For Books Read Halfway Around the World

 

Clayhouse sought to broaden its reach by participating in various international copyright events throughout 2025. This included the London Book Fair in March, the "Visiting Book Fair" (Prague and Warsaw) in May, the K-BOOK Market and Seoul International Book Fair in June, and the "Visiting Book Fair" (New York) in September. Meeting face-to-face with readers and buyers who were genuinely interested in our titles served as a great source of motivation. Furthermore, it was a valuable learning experience, offering insights into global market trends and hearing firsthand what kind of Korean books international industry professionals are currently seeking. The current landscape is markedly different from the healing fiction craze that dominated until early 2024. It feels as though Korean publishing exports are entering to a new chapter. With events such as Han Kang winning the Nobel Prize in Literature and the global attention on works like 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉, expectations for Korean content have expanded significantly. We are now seeing diversified opportunities that go far beyond mere variations of the existing spatial healing fiction genre. Rather than chasing immediate trends or solely targeting massive markets, perhaps the most important mission to develop books that resonate equally with us and with readers halfway around the world. Building on the trust established with our readers, Clayhouse aims to flexibly expand its literary universe, always listening intently to the voices of our audience.

 

 

 

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Written by Kim Yunha (Publishing editor and copyright manager at Clayhouse)