On May 12 - 13, the Grand Hotel International in Prague hosted the K-Book Market, part of the Visiting Korean Book Fair, held for the first time in the Czech Republic. The event was organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea in cooperation with the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA).
This event was part of a broader international initiative to promote Korean literature overseas, with this year’s program starting in the Czech Republic and Poland. When I found out Prague was on the list, I knew I had to be there and see it for myself.
Fifteen Korean publishers gathered to meet with Czech professionals in the publishing industry and introduce titles that may soon find their way into European bookstores. Despite the formal setting, the event felt open, warm, and genuinely focused on building meaningful cultural dialogue.
Over 100 business matchmaking meetings took place on the first day alone, opening the door to discussions on copyright exports, licensing partnerships, and long-term cooperation.
A representative of MiceLeech, a company specializing in international exhibition and marketing support, noted that this was the first time Korean publishers, backed in part by government institutions, had hosted such a fair in the Czech Republic:
“We’ve done similar events in other countries, but this is our first step here. The goal is to better understand the Czech publishing market, so we invited a local expert to lead a seminar on how the industry works. We also want to connect Korean content holders — including publishers and creators of original stories — with local producers and media professionals.”
One of the most insightful parts of the program was a seminar led by Michala Čičváková from CzechLit — an organization that helps promote Czech literature both at home and internationally. She spoke directly to the Korean publishers, giving them a clearer picture of how the Czech publishing world operates.
The session offered Korean publishers a clearer understanding of what it takes for foreign titles to succeed in the Czech market and where the points of cultural connection might be.
One of the standout moments of the fair was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Korea’s Jaeum & Moeum Publishing and the Czech Republic’s Grada Publishing — a strong signal of future collaboration.The ceremony was attended by H.E. Mr. Youngki Hong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Czech Republic, who emphasized the growing importance of cultural exchange between the two countries.
Meanwhile, a representative from KPIPA shared more about the international scope of the initiative:
“When choosing where to go in Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic was one of our top choices. Along with Poland, it became one of the first destinations for this year’s initiative. Our mission is to help books from quality Korean publishers reach international markets — not just in Eastern Europe, but also in Asia, North America and the Middle East. Taiwan, the United States and Dubai are next.”
After the Prague event, the team continues its journey to Warsaw, where Korea will be the Guest of Honor at the Warsaw International Book Fair.
The K-Book Market in Prague offered more than business meetings — it offered perspective. It was a quiet but powerful reminder of the cultural weight literature can carry — often less loud than pop culture, but no less meaningful.
And this conversation between Korea and Europe — it’s only just beginning.
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