While many might assume the age of print is fading, the numbers reveal a resilient and rapidly evolving story, as South Korea's publishing industry not only surpassed 4.72 trillion KRW in sales in 2022 but is also being radically reshaped by a digital wave where webtoons generate over a trillion won, e-book revenue soars by 18%, and self-published titles now surpass 50,000 a year.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the total sales revenue of the Korean publishing industry reached 4.72 trillion KRW, marking a 2.1% increase from the previous year.
- The Korean book market size was valued at approximately 5.1 trillion KRW in 2023, including both print and digital formats.
- Export value of Korean published books hit 128.9 billion KRW in 2022, up 15.4% year-over-year.
- Total number of new book titles published in Korea in 2022 was 45,672.
- Children's books accounted for 22.5% of all new titles published in 2022.
- Academic and scholarly books numbered 8,934 new titles in 2022.
- Total book sales volume in Korea for 2022 was 78.4 million copies.
- Bestsellers accounted for 15% of total book sales volume in 2022.
- Online bookstore sales share reached 65.3% of total book sales in 2023.
- E-book sales revenue in Korea hit 512 billion KRW in 2022, up 18% YoY.
- Ridibooks platform held 42% market share in e-books in 2023.
- Webtoon digital comics revenue reached 1.02 trillion KRW in 2022.
- Number of publishing companies in Korea: 18,456 as of 2022.
- Total employment in publishing industry: 52,300 full-time workers in 2022.
- Average annual salary for editors in Korean publishing: 48 million KRW in 2023.
South Korea's publishing industry grows steadily, driven by digital expansion and robust exports.
Book Production
- Total number of new book titles published in Korea in 2022 was 45,672.
- Children's books accounted for 22.5% of all new titles published in 2022.
- Academic and scholarly books numbered 8,934 new titles in 2022.
- Print run average per new title in Korea was 2,156 copies in 2022.
- Number of new e-book titles released in 2022 reached 12,450.
- Novels and poetry new titles totaled 7,892 in 2022.
- Self-published books via platforms like Ridibooks numbered over 50,000 in 2022.
- Total pages printed for new books in 2022 averaged 248 pages per title.
- Humanities and social sciences books new titles: 11,234 in 2022.
- Audiobook production in Korea grew to 3,200 titles in 2022.
- Religious books new titles: 2,450 in 2022.
- Science and technology books: 4,120 new titles in 2022.
- Total print run for children's books: 18 million copies in 2022.
- Foreign language learning books: 5,670 titles in 2022.
- Reprints of backlist titles: 15,200 in 2022.
- Average production cost per title: 12 million KRW in 2022.
- Eco-friendly paper usage in books: 35% in 2023.
- Braille book production: 1,200 titles annually.
- Total new titles 2021: 44,891.
- Comics and graphic novels: 10,234 new titles 2021.
- History books new titles: 3,456 in 2021.
- Average print run decline: -3.2% to 2,100 copies 2021.
- Educational print materials: 6,789 titles 2021.
- Indie press new titles: 8,500 in 2021.
- Paper book pages total: 11.3 billion in 2021.
- Translation books: 4,200 new titles 2021.
- Art and photography books: 1,890 titles 2021.
Book Production Interpretation
While the industry churns out a staggering library’s worth of titles each year, the sobering reality is that each new book must fight for a mere 2,156 pairs of eyes on average, making publishing both a prolific art and a perilous gamble.
Digital Transformation
- E-book sales revenue in Korea hit 512 billion KRW in 2022, up 18% YoY.
- Ridibooks platform held 42% market share in e-books in 2023.
- Webtoon digital comics revenue reached 1.02 trillion KRW in 2022.
- Audiobook market size grew to 85 billion KRW in 2023.
- 35.2% of Koreans read e-books monthly in 2023 survey.
- Naver Series e-book subscriptions numbered 8.5 million in 2022.
- Digital publishing share of total revenue: 12.4% in 2022.
- Webnovel platforms like KakaoPage generated 450 billion KRW in 2022.
- E-book reader penetration rate in Korea: 28% in 2023.
- Overseas webtoon exports via platforms: 300 million USD in 2022.
- Millie's audiobook listeners: 2.1 million monthly active users in 2023.
- KakaoPage webnovel revenue: 320 billion KRW in 2023.
- E-book piracy rate down to 8% in 2023 due to DRM.
- VR/AR enhanced books: 450 titles in 2023.
- Daily webtoon readers: 12 million in Korea 2023.
- Overseas e-book exports: 50 billion KRW in 2022.
- AI-generated content in publishing: 2% of new titles 2023.
- Podcast adaptations from books: 1,200 episodes 2023.
- Blockchain for royalties tracking piloted by 20 publishers 2023.
- Social media book sales influence: 42% of purchases 2023.
- Webtoon IP adaptations revenue: 600 billion KRW 2022.
- E-book devices sales: 1.2 million units 2022.
- Monthly e-book readers: 9.8 million 2022.
- Digital comics market CAGR 2020-2025: 12.5%.
- Overseas webtoon users: 100 million 2023.
- Interactive e-books: 800 titles 2022.
- Subscription revenue e-books: 200 billion KRW 2022.
- AI translation tools adoption: 25% publishers 2023.
- Metaverse book events attendance: 500,000 2023.
Digital Transformation Interpretation
Even as ink-and-paper purists clutch their pearls, Korea's publishing industry is quietly being stage-managed by a digital revolution where webtoons are billion-dollar exports, e-books are the new normal, and even audiobooks have found their mic—proving that if you can't beat the screen, you might as well get a 42% market share on it.
Employment and Workforce
- Number of publishing companies in Korea: 18,456 as of 2022.
- Total employment in publishing industry: 52,300 full-time workers in 2022.
- Average annual salary for editors in Korean publishing: 48 million KRW in 2023.
- Female workforce percentage in publishing: 62.4% in 2022.
- Freelance translators in publishing: over 15,000 registered in 2023.
- R&D investment by publishers: 1.2% of revenue in 2022.
- Training programs for publishing professionals: 120 sessions annually by KOPRI.
- Turnover rate in publishing workforce: 14.5% in 2022.
- Small publishers (under 10 employees): 85% of total companies in 2022.
- Digital skill gap: 41% of workers need upskilling per 2023 survey.
- Editors with digital skills: 55% in 2023 survey.
- Marketing specialists in publishing: 8,200 employed 2022.
- Union membership in publishing: 12% of workforce 2022.
- Diversity hires: 15% increase in multicultural staff 2023.
- Remote work adoption: 38% post-COVID in 2023.
- Internships offered: 2,500 slots annually by major publishers.
- Age distribution: 45% under 35 in publishing workforce 2022.
- Gender pay gap: 22% in favor of males 2023 data.
- Publishers total: 18,200 in 2021.
- Sales staff employment: 12,400 in 2022.
- Editors average salary: 52 million KRW seniors 2023.
- Youth employment rate in publishing: 28% under 30.
- Vocational training participants: 5,000 yearly.
- Digital marketers hired: +15% in 2022.
- Part-time workforce: 22% of total 2022.
- Leadership roles women: 35% in 2023.
Employment and Workforce Interpretation
With a landscape of 18,456 fiercely independent, largely small-scale publishers—where a predominantly young and female workforce creates culture for modest pay amidst a stubborn gender gap—the Korean publishing industry is a vibrant, sprawling, and precariously balanced ecosystem of artful content and business realities.
Market Overview
- In 2022, the total sales revenue of the Korean publishing industry reached 4.72 trillion KRW, marking a 2.1% increase from the previous year.
- The Korean book market size was valued at approximately 5.1 trillion KRW in 2023, including both print and digital formats.
- Export value of Korean published books hit 128.9 billion KRW in 2022, up 15.4% year-over-year.
- Domestic publishing market share held by top 10 publishers was 45.2% in 2021.
- Average annual growth rate of the Korean publishing industry from 2018-2022 was 1.8%.
- In 2023, the physical book market accounted for 78% of total publishing revenue in Korea.
- Total publishing industry revenue per capita in Korea stood at 91,000 KRW in 2022.
- The compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) for Korean publishing market 2020-2025 projected at 3.2%.
- Import value of foreign books into Korea was 45.6 billion KRW in 2022.
- Korean publishing industry's contribution to GDP was 0.28% in 2021.
- In 2022, educational books sales revenue was 1.23 trillion KRW.
- Literary fiction market share: 9.8% of total sales in 2022.
- Total manhwa publications: 12,500 titles in 2022.
- Projected market growth for 2024: 4.1% to 5.3 trillion KRW.
- Independent bookstores numbered 1,800 in 2022.
- Print-on-demand services usage up 22% in 2022.
- Total sales revenue of the Korean publishing industry in 2021 was 4.62 trillion KRW.
- The e-book market in Korea grew by 20.3% to 450 billion KRW in 2021.
- Korean content exports including books reached 12.5 trillion KRW in 2022.
- Top publisher Yes24 revenue: 1.8 trillion KRW in 2022.
- Print book decline: -1.5% in units sold 2022.
- Luxury edition books sales up 8% to 50 billion KRW 2022.
Market Overview Interpretation
While South Korea’s publishing industry may not be the nation’s economic heavyweight at 0.28% of GDP, it’s proving stubbornly resilient, growing a modest but steady 1.8% annually, fueled by a robust 78% physical book preference, a 15.4% surge in exports riding the Korean wave, and the delightful contradiction of print-on-demand rising 22% even as overall print units dip 1.5%.
Sales and Distribution
- Total book sales volume in Korea for 2022 was 78.4 million copies.
- Bestsellers accounted for 15% of total book sales volume in 2022.
- Online bookstore sales share reached 65.3% of total book sales in 2023.
- Average book price in Korea rose to 15,240 KRW in 2022.
- Department store book sales declined by 12.4% in 2022 to 3.2% market share.
- Export sales of Korean manhwa and webtoons contributed 25% to total book exports in 2022.
- Per capita book purchase in Korea was 1.52 copies in 2022.
- Discount rate average for books sold online was 28.7% in 2023.
- Subscription box services for books generated 150 billion KRW in 2022.
- Regional bookstore sales share was 12.1% in 2022.
- Bestseller list turnover rate: 28 titles per week in 2023.
- Used book market size: 200 billion KRW in 2022.
- Airport bookstore sales: 45 billion KRW in 2022.
- Gift book sales peak: 25% during Chuseok 2022.
- International book fair sales leads: 10,000 from Bologna 2023.
- Mobile app book sales: 18% of online total in 2023.
- School textbook distribution: 99.5% digital adoption in 2023.
- NFT book editions sold: 5,000 units in 2022 pilots.
- Online sales volume: 52 million copies 2021.
- Physical bookstore share: 22% in 2021.
- Average discount offline: 10.5% in 2022.
- Manhwa sales volume: 25 million copies 2022.
- Holiday season sales boost: 35% in December 2022.
- Export to Japan: 40% of total book exports 2022.
- Convenience store book sales: 5% market share 2022.
- Per title sales average: 1,720 copies 2022.
- B2B sales to libraries: 120 billion KRW 2022.
Sales and Distribution Interpretation
The Korean publishing industry is a tale of two bookstores, where online discounts reign supreme, bestsellers hog the spotlight, and the nation's 1.5 books-per-person habit is increasingly powered by webtoon exports and digital convenience, leaving physical stores to fight over the literary crumbs.
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