The Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK), in collaboration with the Korea Publication Industry Promotion Agency (KPIPA), successfully hosted the K-Book Festival 2025 at Foyles Charing Cross Road, one of the UK’s most iconic bookstores.
Held from mid-October to mid-November 2025, the month-long festival formed part of the 2025 K-Book Global Promotion and Exchange Programme, presenting the vibrancy and creativity of Korean publishing culture to British readers.
Taking place in the heart of London—the centre of the global publishing world—the KCCUK led the way in promoting Korean books to an international audience. The festival featured diverse genres including literature, cookery, and webtoons, offering opportunities for direct interaction between authors and readers.
Visitors to Foyles explored a curated collection of English-language titles about Korea, translated Korean literature, and original works published in Korean.
A Taste of Korea with Chef Judy Joo
The festival opened on Wednesday, 15 October, with a special event featuring Chef Judy Joo—celebrated TV personality, restaurateur, and global ambassador of Korean cuisine.
Focusing on her latest cookbook, K-Quick: Korean Food in 30 Minutes or Less, she introduced her world of recipes that blended quick preparation with the authentic depth of Korean flavour.
Drawing on her multicultural background and global experience, Judy Joo shared how Korean food had evolved while maintaining its traditional roots, shedding light on the cultural significance and modern transformation of K-Food.
The evening concluded with an engaging Q&A and a book signing session, delighting audiences with stories, insights, and tastes from her culinary journey.
Global Storytelling through Webtoons — A Talk with Min Song-A
On Saturday, 25 October, acclaimed webtoon creator Min Song-A, known for Nano List, The Girl Next Door, and as the original author of the Netflix hit Doona!, met with British readers for a discussion on the global rise of K-Webtoons.
During the session, she shared behind-the-scenes stories about the digital storytelling process, the evolution of webtoon platforms, and how Korean webtoons had crossed cultural boundaries to capture international audiences.
The talk offered fresh perspectives on creativity, authorship, and fan engagement, highlighting the powerful role of webtoons in today’s global K-Story industry.
Crossing the Boundaries of Emotion and Imagination — A Literary Talk with Cheon Seon-Ran
The festival continued on Saturday, 1 November, with an intimate conversation featuring acclaimed novelist Cheon Seon-Ran, author of A Thousand Blues.
Her award-winning novel—which received the Grand Prize at the 4th Korean Science Literature Awards in 2020—depicted a poignant relationship between a robot capable of human emotion and the people surrounding it.
The book, recently optioned by Warner Bros. for film adaptation, demonstrated the growing global reach of Korean speculative fiction.
Cheon Seon-Ran discussed how her writing explored emotion, technology, and identity, inviting readers to reflect on the human condition through the lens of imagination and empathy.
The audience responded enthusiastically, engaging in a conversation that transcended both genre and language.
Korean Publishing Met the UK Mainstream Audience
The K-Book Festival 2025 introduced the creative spectrum of Korean publishing to the UK public—from contemporary literature and culinary arts to digital storytelling. By showcasing the diversity of Korean content, the festival highlighted the global competitiveness and cultural depth of Korea’s publishing industry.
Through this collaboration with Foyles, the KCCUK expanded its partnership with the UK’s literary scene, strengthening networks between publishers and readers, and laying the groundwork for sustained cultural exchange.
Seunghye Sun, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre UK, remarked, “The K-Book Festival, held in the United Kingdom—the land of great literary and publishing tradition—became a new platform where the aesthetics of Korean culture resonated emotionally with global readers. Through literature, cookery, and webtoons, we shared the creativity and imagination that define K-Culture with English-speaking audiences. Our collaboration with Foyles, a bookstore with over 120 years of history, laid the foundation for K-Books to reach not only the UK but also the wider Commonwealth. The KCCUK will continue to nurture exchanges that allow Korean literature and content to be loved at the heart of global culture.”