Paju Book & Culture Fair
The 2026 Paju Book & Culture Fair runs from October 9 to October 18, 2026, at the Paju Publishing City. It provides a special venue where major publishers, authors, readers, and bookstores gather in one place to look at and enjoy books from a new perspective, rather than simply as objects to be read. By presenting visitors with performances, exhibitions, and hands-on experiences derived from books, the fair expands reading culture into a broader creative arena. At the same time, it serves as a global market for K-Books, introducing excellent Korean books and related content to overseas markets and supporting the scalability of K-Books through new sales channels beyond domestic borders.
The fair’s roughly ten-day program includes performances, the book market, youth companion programs, international business meetings, and cultural networking activities spread throughout the Publishing City.
Performances
The performance lineup covers the opening ceremony, an indie music and dance festival, and a youth dance festival.
- Opening Ceremony: BOOKS ALIVE! – Books and Music We Love
- Indie Music Festival: MOBBO: Let Me Go
- Dance Festival: BOOK TO MOVE – Paju Dance Festival
Book Sound
- Book Market: Nan-Geot-Deul – Participation of 291 publishers, bookstores, goods creators, designers, and others.
- Book Market Program: Nan-Jang-Pan – Programs prepared by participating companies.
- Additional activities include thematic exhibitions, regional linkages, and stamp rallies.
Youth Companion
- Performances: Listening session “Let’s Just Listen First”, Paju Brewery Concert
- Experience: Paju Publishing City Booknic – A rental service providing items needed for a picnic
IP Export Support Project
- Consultation Meeting: Global Publishing/IP Business Consultation Meeting – B2B consultation for the export of books and IP
- Forum: Paju Publishing City International Forum – “Connection and Expansion of Publishing IP in the AI Era”
Cultural Networking
- Lectures, experience programs, flea markets, and other activities take place throughout the Publishing City.
Food & Beverage
- Food trucks, F&B booths, and more will be available.
Others
- Book purchase certification event
Practical Information
- 📍 Address: 145 Hoedong-gil, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do (Munbal-dong)
- 🗓️ Dates: 2026.10.09 ~ 2026.10.18
- 🛏️ Accommodations near the event
- 💰 Fee: Free (Some programs are paid)
- 📞 Inquiry: 031-955-0075
- ⭐️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pajufair/
- 🖥️ Homepage: https://pajufair.com/
What is Paju Publishing City?
Paju Publishing City—also called Paju Book City—is a planned district in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, built around the country’s publishing trade. The idea was formed in the late 1980s, and the area was developed from the 1990s onward. It now contains hundreds of publishers, printing companies, bookbinders, distributors, and design studios in a campus-like setting on the western edge of Seoul.
The district’s layout is part of its reason to visit. Instead of individual buildings set behind parking lots, the area is organized around pedestrian streets, open squares, and landscaped courtyards. Many of the structures were designed by notable Korean architects, and the public spaces are intended to support reading and conversation as well as work. Visitors can walk between publishers’ offices, stop at independent bookshops, and see exhibitions that follow the making of a book from manuscript through design, printing, and binding.
Paju Publishing City also functions as a place for literary culture outside the publishing companies themselves. Its meeting rooms and exhibition halls are used for lectures, seminars, and workshops; the on-site cafés and bookstores make it a practical day trip for readers. The annual Paju Book & Culture Fair attracts a wider audience, with author talks, book markets, children’s programs, and demonstrations of bookmaking techniques. The fair is organized around a straightforward idea: publishing is a craft that can be examined, and the district where it happens can be open to the public.
