Seoul Intl. Book Fair claims end in no charges

Korea Publishers Association cleared in subsidy dispute with Culture Ministry

Visitors wait in line to enter the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair at Coex in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on June 18. (Yonhap)

An investigation into the Korean Publishers Association over the Seoul International Book Fair and alleged misuse of government subsidies has been closed with no charges, the KPA said Tuesday.

According to the KPA, the Seoul Jongno Police Station issued a “no charges filed” decision on July 7 in a case that accused the organization of violating the Subsidy Management Act and criminal statutes, including document forgery and obstruction of business.

The case stems from a 2023 complaint filed by the Culture Ministry under then-Minister Park Bo-gyoon, who questioned whether the KPA had concealed revenues from the SIBF and failed to report profits, despite receiving annual government subsidies of up to 1 billion won ($725,000) for the event.

The ministry accused the KPA of forming a “cartel” with the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), a state-affiliated body overseeing publishing subsidies. It claimed the organizers had redacted or withheld financial details — including fees from overseas participants — and referred the case to police for further investigation in August 2023.

Following the complaint, the Culture Ministry slashed 3 billion won in subsidies earmarked for the book fair and international participation projects and barred the KPA from applying for new state-funded initiatives. Starting in 2024, government support for the fair was rerouted through KPIPA to assist individual exhibitors, bypassing the association.

Korean Publishers Association Chairman Yoon Chul-ho delivers a welcome speech at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair at Coex in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on June 18. (Im Se-jun/The Korea Herald)

However, according to the official police notification, authorities found no evidence that the association had concealed earnings or misused subsidies. Police concluded that financial arrangements for the book fair, including how revenues and expenses were reported, had been pre-negotiated among the Culture Ministry, KPIPA and the KPA.

“There was no misuse of subsidies for purposes outside their original scope,” the KPA said in a statement, citing the outcome of the investigation. “The findings clearly show that there was no wrongdoing in our management of either the public subsidies or the fair’s revenues.”

The KPA criticized the ministry’s actions as overreach and expressed hope that the newly appointed culture minister under the Lee Jae Myung government would bring renewed support and stability to publishing policy.