Regional Publishing, a Cradle of Local Culture, Needs Government and Local Support

The Korean Regional Publishing Fair, held in Jeju, awarded its Grand Prize to 'Testimony of a Korean Special Agent Who Monitored Geumgukgyo.' This historical account, published by Giyeok in Gochang, is based on the oral history of Ahn Hoo-sang, a historian who spent 40 years researching the connection between Geumgukgyo and the independence movement.

This award, now in its tenth year since its inception in 2017 by the Korean Regional Publishers Association, is funded by 10,000 readers each contributing 10,000 won, symbolizing collective support for regional publishing. Past recipients have illuminated significant works from publishers across various regions of South Korea.

While regional publishers are vital for preserving local culture, they often face challenges with low demand and profitability. The article points out a perceived indifference from the central government and local authorities towards these endeavors.

Separately, the second Lee Hee-geon Award recognized the Japanese translation team of Park Kyung-ri's epic novel 'Toji.' The team, including Kuon Publishing CEO Kim Seung-bok and translators Yoshikawa Nagi and Shimizu Chisako, completed the full Japanese translation over ten years. Their achievement has already received presidential and ministerial awards in South Korea and Japan, respectively. Kim Seung-bok announced a new project to publish 1,000 books over the next decade to deepen understanding of Korea in Japan, a move met with applause.