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Search word : "Independent Bookstores", Search result : 29

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

Today’s Local Bookstores Seen Through Data on Independent Bookstores in Korea

Knowledge Today’s Local Bookstores Seen Through Dataon Independent Bookstores in Korea A service for non-readers: a map of local bookstores 2024.05.07 Independent bookstores, each unique in its own way, are significant in that they create new cultures and book ecosystems. There is a platform that collects data on these independent bookstores and shares their locations, activities, and stories with readers online and offline – it is “Bookshopmap,” a neighborhood bookstore map, which started in 2015. In this article, focusing on Bookshopmap, we will look at how the service started, how it works, and how it differs from traditional bookstores. We will also take a look at the changing trends of independent bookstores in Korea based on data statistics from the past 8 years, from 2015 to 2023. It started for fun After stumbl...

VOL.70 / 2024.05

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

South Korea's publishing market and distribution structure

South Korea's publishing market and distribution structure 2019.12.09 South Korea's publishing market can be divided into three categories: book publishing (paper media publishing), educational publishing (textbooks and educational material publishing) and internet/mobile digital publishing and production. When taken as a whole, publishing sales stood at 4.0078 trillion won in 2010 and rose 8.2 percent to 4.3388 trillion won in 2017, showing an average growth of 1.1 percent each year in between. A characteristic of South Korea's publishing market is that educational content accounts for a huge piece of it. From 2010 to 2017, educational publishing has seen an average 1.8 percent in growth while paper book sales have seen an average decline of 2.6 percent over the same period. Meanwhile, e-books have seen sharp growth, with sales jumping 17 percent on average each year from 2010 to 2017. A characteristic of South Korea's publishing market is that educational co...

VOL.18 / 2019.12

[TREND / KNOWLEDGE]

South Korea's policies to promote reading and reading movements

South Korea's policies to promote reading and reading movements 2019.11.04 In addition to smartphones, media bombards people daily, whether they take the form of regular information, videos or other forms of entertainment. As this sort of content increases and more forms of leisure appear, concerns over people reading fewer books are also growing. According to statistics, the reading rate of South Korean adults over the age of 19 (reading rate of paper books that are not textbooks, educational material, magazines or comic books) stood at 86.8 percent in 1994 only to plummet to 59.9 percent in 2017 (the rate was 62.3 percent when e-books were accounted for). On average, the rate dropped 1 percentage point every year over that period. When compared to the reading rates of underage students from elementary school students to high school students that top 90 percent, the adult reading rates are not to be ignored. South Koreans have long upheld traditional values related to s...

VOL.17 / 2019.11

[TREND / TOPIC]

Fandom and Publishing

Topic Fandom and Publishing Trend in the Korean publishing market in 2022 2022.09.05 I have talked with a number of editors from publishing companies about “profitable books.” They all said, “The results are mostly determined by how influential the author is. How many readers it can attract is also one of the key points of signing a contract.”While fewer people are reading books, more people hope to write books today. So, among the manuscripts flooding in, the writers who sign the contract at the end are those who are influential. The marketing capacity of the publisher is indeed important. But, in this market where capital decides the marketing power, it is more likely that you must bring in “people that don’t read” to make a book go best seller. Thus, it is clear that a publishing company prefers to publish books by those with a strong fandom, created before publication. ...

VOL.50 / 2022.09

[TREND / TOPIC]

Korean Publishing Industry Current Trends in 2021 and Projections in 2022

Topic Korean Publishing Industry Current Trends in 2021 and Projections in 2022 2022.01.03 Current Trends of the Korean Publishing Industry in 2021 The coronavirus pandemic has created unprecedented changes in every aspect of life. It has led to increased dependence on online and digital technology. The publishing industry that accounts for the largest part of the content industry, has also been affected by the changes under COVID-19. To understand better, let us look at what changes the Korean publishing industry went through in 2021. Sympathy/Comfort, Investing/Personal Finance, Rediscovery of Originals Online book sales have increased with social distancing rules in place since the pandemic. As a result, total book sales have increased by 6.6% compared to the same period of last year, according to Trends and Sales of Best-selling Books of 2021 by YES24, an online bookstore. The most sold book in 2021 is Dollagoot Dream Department Store (Sam ...

VOL.42 / 2022.01

[TREND / BOOK TRIP]

Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Book Trip Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do A once steel city now emerging as a cultural powerhouse with filming sites 2022.01.03 An industrial complex gives off heat along the Hyeongsan river, the first impression of Pohang. But that is just a part of the city. If one aspect of a city leaves too strong an impression, the rest becomes invisible. Pohang is home to many tourist attractions such as Homigot Sunrise Plaza, a famous venue for the sunrise, and Guryongpo, a Japanese old traditional house street where a K-drama called "When The Camellia Blooms" was filmed years ago, exuding an exotic atmosphere, and Cheongha-myeon and Cheongha market as filming locations for "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha," a popular Korean drama, in addition to Sabang Memorial Park, Botanical Garden of Gyengsangbuk-do and more. The stunning landscape of Naeyeon Mountain and Bogyungsa Temple are the tourist spots you must visit there. Most of all, Pohang city is seeking a transition towards a cultura...

VOL.42 / 2022.01

[INTERVIEW / KOREAN AUTHORS]

Writer Jung Yeong-Wook

Korean Authors Writer Jung Yeong-Wook May my sentences support your life one day... 2024.05.07 Sometimes, the empathy and understanding of “I experienced that, too” can be more powerful than words of consolation or encouragement. Perhaps this is why people turn to books when they find it difficult to tell anyone about their troubles. Jung Yeong-Wook, a prolific non-fiction writer, has been showing heartfelt solidarity and great support to readers through his books. As a writer and the head of a publishing company, he says he publishes books with the hope that they will be “a book that is given to you as a gift from someone who cares about you one day.” Writer Jung continues to interact with readers through social media and never stops challenging himself. His determination to stay steadfast in his writing career reminds us of the saying, “Sincerity works.” Following is an interview with Jung Yeong-Wook, a writer who deeply empathizes w...

VOL.70 / 2024.05

[TREND / BOOK TRIP]

Wonju, Gangwon-do

Book Trip Wonju, Gangwon-do Filled with Pride as the UNESCO City of Literature 2021.12.06 Boasting well-preserved exquisite natural scenery, Wonju is home to a number of temples, including Sangwonsa and Guryongsa, Chiaksan Mountain with a marvelous mountainous landscape, and great tourist sites such as rail bikes in the Ganhyeon Tourist Area and the Sogeumgang Valley Suspension Bridge. The region also has literary elements that make it more proud. Pak Kyong-Ni, the master of modern Korean literature and the writer of the Toji series, a steady bestseller, completed the series and spent the rest of her life in Wonju. Her house is still preserved, and the surrounding region is organized around the Pak Kyongni House. This makes it enough to call Wonju the home of literature. UNESCO has also recognized such literary resources of Wonju. The UCCN (UNESCO Creative Cities Network), a global platform under UNESCO, selects cities with creativity and potential every 2 ...

VOL.41 / 2021.12

[TREND / BOOK TRIP]

Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do

Book Trip Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do The Active Role Independent Bookstores Play in Leadingthe Regeneration of Urban Culture in the Old Downtown Area 2021.11.01 Chungcheongbuk-do Province is the only province in Korea that does not embody a coastal area. However, in Cheongju, located in the central part of the inland area of the Chungcheongbuk-do Province, is Daecheong Lake, also known as the sea of the inland. Daecheong Lake, with its vastness, provides a rich supply of water, making Cheongju a city of plentifulness with magnificent scenery. You can enjoy a stroll or drive along with the scenery of Daecheong Lake that changes throughout the four seasons. Cheongju has an abundance of tourist locations such as the Cheongnamdae, the presidential villa with the name in Korean that means “Blue House of the South.” It also has a well-preserved earthen fortification representing Korea called Sangdangsanseong Fortress, and Suamgol Village with its old alleys al...

VOL.40 / 2021.11

[TREND / BOOK TRIP]

Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Book Trip Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do Rapid Transition from an Industrialised City to a Cultural City 2021.10.05 The city of Gumi, or Gumi-si, lies in the interior of Gyeongsangbuk-do and is the birthplace of Korean industrialization. It has developed into a rapidly growing industrial city. However, with stagnant growth today, Gumi is looking to construct a new picture. It is preparing to leap forward as a cultural city, freeing itself from its existing image. The so-called Geumridan-gil is rising with workshops of different sizes, cafes with unique concepts, and distinctive independent bookstores, based on the urban regeneration project that started in the old town around Geumosan Mountain, the long-time landmark and the resting place for Gumi citizens. The Geumosan Provincial Park, as wide as 976m, is a representative tourist spot in Gumi, which boasts various trails around the lush forest by the entrance, hiking courses, and Chaemijeong, which was built to ho...

VOL.39 / 2021.10

VOL.72/2024.07

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