Seoul International Book Fair presses on without state funding
The Korean Publishers Association, which remains at odds with the Culture Ministry over government subsidies for the Seoul International Book Fair, will once again hold the event without direct government funding this year.
"Just like last year, this year's book fair will not receive any (direct) support from the Culture Ministry," said KPA President Yoon Chul-ho during a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday.
"We will run the book fair with donations from our publisher members, as well as membership and booth fees from the participating members."
Last year marked the first time since the book fair's inception in 1954 that the KPA organized the event without direct government funding.
The ministry withheld approximately 670 million won ($465,000) that had been allocated to the fair's organizer and instead redirected the funds to individual participating publishers.
Yoon said that this year, even that support has been further slashed to around 200 million won ($139,000).
The standoff between the KPA and the Culture Ministry is expected to continue until the ongoing police investigation into the book fair's subsidy management reaches a conclusion.
The dispute dates back to August 2023, when the ministry requested an investigation into Yoon and KPA, alleging failure to turn over detailed accounting for the Seoul International Book Fair. In response, the KPA filed a complaint against four Culture Ministry officials for defamation. KPA said it had submitted all the necessary information 'required for disclosure' at the ministry's request and received an official confirmation from the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), a public institution under the ministry that oversees the distribution and use of government subsidies to the fair organizer.
Despite these tensions, the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair will take place as scheduled from June 18 to 22 at Coex in Seoul. This year's theme, "The Last Resort," invites visitors to discover their own sources of solace in an increasingly difficult world. Taiwan has been selected as the "guest of honor."
Established in 1947, the KPA is the largest publishers' organization in the country, boasting over 4,000 member publishing companies.
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