Despite growing worldwide interest in Korean literature, local publishers continue to face significant challenges in connecting with foreign publishers and expanding their reach internationally. This obstacle is particularly pronounced for small and medium-sized publishing houses that lack the resources and networks to navigate global markets effectively.

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) has stepped forward to address this critical gap through its K-Literature Fellowship 2025 program, which ran through Thursday. The initiative represents the organization's sustained commitment to supporting Korean publishers in introducing their literary works to international audiences and facilitating crucial copyright sales agreements across borders.

During Tuesday's events at Coex Magok in western Seoul, eighteen translators specializing in Korean-to-English literature took center stage to present their ongoing projects. Each translator provided detailed synopses of works they aspire to translate in full, introduced the featured authors, and shared insights about their own backgrounds and expertise in literary translation.

The showcase featured an impressive roster of acclaimed Korean authors, including Jeong You-jeong, renowned for her psychological thrillers "Seven Years of Darkness" (2011) and "The Good Son" (2016). Other highlighted authors included Choi Eun-young, who penned "Shoko's Smile" (2016), Kim Soom, author of "One Left" (2020), and Sung Hae-na, who wrote "Summer Left Behind" (2023). These works represent diverse genres and themes that demonstrate the breadth and depth of contemporary Korean literature.

The translator lineup included both established and emerging voices in Korean literary translation: Joheun Lee, Sung Ryu, Lisa Kim, Kim Soyoung, Lee Kyung Min, Snigdha Gupta, Hoyoung Moon, Sarah K. J. Yoo, Soeun Seo, Ana Barragan, Peace Pyunghwa Lee, Camila Hidalgo, and Aerin Park. The event also featured several winners of The Korea Times Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards, including Sean Lin Halbert, Jasmine Jeemin Lee, You Jeong Kim, and G. S. Hand, whose recognition underscores the high quality of Korean literary translation work being produced today.

The fellowship attracted representatives from twenty major overseas publishers spanning fourteen countries, demonstrating the truly global interest in Korean literature. Notable attendees included editors and acquisition specialists from prestigious publishing houses such as Ecco Press and Penguin Random House from the United States, 4th Estate, Doubleday, and Jonathan Cape from the United Kingdom, Calmann-Levy from France, HarperCollins Italia from Italy, Alfa Kitap from Turkey, and Gummerus from Finland.

Park Jee-won, manager of the translation and publication team at LTI Korea, emphasized the organization's crucial role as a cultural bridge. "What we've seen is that many publishers outside Korea are interested in Korean literature, while Korean publishers are eager to take their novels abroad," Park explained. "And we wanted to bring them together. Overseas publishers we invited today have previously published works nominated for prestigious literary awards. Through initiatives like this, we hope to see another Han Kang emerge."

International publishers expressed enthusiasm about the growing appetite for Korean literature in their respective markets. Pauline Benay of French publisher Calmann-Levy noted a significant surge in French readers' interest in Korean and Asian literature more broadly. "We're trying to publish more books from Asia," she stated, reflecting a broader trend among European publishers to diversify their catalogs with Asian voices.

Jane Lawson of Doubleday articulated her motivation for attending the fellowship, driven by curiosity about the global fascination with Korean literature. "I relish the opportunity to meet the voices behind this surge – who is driving it, why are we all interested, and what themes are making the world so drawn to Korean literature? I'm here to discover," Lawson said.

Lawson provided insight into the demographic driving Korean literature's popularity, suggesting that beyond Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature and International Booker Prize victory, the rise owes much to Generation Z readers. These young readers discovered K-pop and K-dramas through platforms like YouTube and Netflix during the pandemic, creating a natural pipeline to Korean literature. "They are the audience for many of the books in translation. Since they're already interested in other aspects of Korean media, they're a big part of our readership," Lawson explained.

Beyond the presentation sessions, the fellowship program offered comprehensive networking and educational opportunities. The schedule included in-depth discussions examining the current state of the Korean publishing industry and the evolving landscape of Korean literature, providing context for international partners unfamiliar with local market dynamics. One-on-one meetings between Korean and international publishers created dedicated spaces to explore potential copyright deals and negotiate specific projects.

The program also incorporated cultural immersion through field visits to significant literary sites, including Paju Book City, South Korea's publishing hub, and independent bookstores throughout Seoul. These visits provided international publishers with firsthand experience of Korea's vibrant literary ecosystem and reading culture, helping them better understand the context from which Korean literature emerges.