Asia Publishers Week
Participant
Jin Ho(James, Jin)
Country : Korea
Company : Namu Bench
Job Title : Managing Director
E-mail : jino911@namubench.com
Experience Related to This Year’s Topic
I worked as the Head of the Marketing Planning Team at Kyobo Book Centre, where I was responsible for analyzing reader consumption data and developing digital book marketing strategies. This experience was a valuable asset in honing my ability to connect content planning with reader response in the field of publishing. Currently, I am involved not only in the continued success of The Inconvenient Convenience Store series but also in launching various genre fiction and web novels. I am also planning collaborative projects related to cultural content to expand the reach and value of publishing IPs.
What would you like to discuss related to this year’s topic?
Through this prgram, I hope to explore how literature from each country can retain its own sensibilities and emotional depth while still resonating with readers around the world. The Inconvenient Convenience Store deals with distinctly Korean settings, characters, and sentiments, yet it has been warmly embraced by readers in Japan, Taiwan, China, and Southeast Asia. I am eager to learn, through dialogue with fellow Asian publishers, what kinds of emotions readers in those countries connected with and what aspects of the story brought them comfort. At the same time, I would like to share insights into why The Inconvenient Convenience Store Series achieved such remarkable success in Korea. Furthermore, I look forward to learning about literary trends and promotional strategies from across Asia and bringing those insights back to my Korean publishing colleagues to broaden the perspective of our local literary industry.
Your Company Profile Namu Bench
Namu Bench began its publishing journey by sponsoring the prestigious “Segye Literary Award” with a prize of 100 million KRW. Since then, we have published a wide range of high-quality books across various genres, including Korean and translated literature, humanities, and self-development. The annual winners of the Segye Literary Award have consistently invigorated the Korean literary scene. We have launched bold and ambitious series such as the <Blue Fiction> series for young adults, the premium romance novel series <Romance Collection>, the <Thematic Poetry> series, and the <Humanities Travel Essay> series.
We are also active in introducing international literature to Korean readers. Our publications include the exclusive Korean edition of Richard Bach’s classic Jonathan Livingston Seagull, as well as major international award-winning titles, adaptations of popular dramas and films, and hidden literary gems from around the world.
Between 2021 and 2022, Namu Bench experienced rapid growth and transformation with the publication of the best-selling The Convenience Store That Discomforts You series, which marked a milestone in 21st-century Korean publishing history. With over 1.5 million copies sold, it became the best-selling novel in Korea in the 2020s, firmly establishing Namu Bench as one of the most dynamic and youthful publishing houses in the country.
Looking ahead, Namu Bench is committed to enriching lives with more engaging and moving stories, as well as fresh and meaningful content. We aim to read the changing times with an open mind, communicate with our readers, and continue boldly challenging ourselves across various fields of publishing.