한국국제교류재단

Although Paju Book City is officially a national industrial complex, it began as a private initiative. Its origins trace back to 1988, when a group of publishing leaders — Park Maeng-ho (Minumsa), Yoon Hyung-doo (Bumwoosa), Jeon Byung-seok (Munye), Kim Kyung-hee (Jisik Sanup), Kim Eonho (Hangilsa), Lee Ki-woong (Youlhwadang), and Huh Chang-sung (Pyeonghwa) — swore the Mt. Bukhan oath after climbing the eponymous mountain together. During the hike, they discussed the need for a publishing community that would bring together planning, editing, design, printing, logistics, and distribution in a single ecosystem.

Their long-held dream gave rise to what is widely considered the world’s first and only publishing city created through private initiative. Today, around 950 companies operate within Paju Book City, employing some 20,000 people.

The ethos that guided the founders can be distilled into four keywords: temperance, balance, harmony, and humanity. From the beginning, they sought to prioritize the common good over individual gain, hoping that human-centered values would take root. For nearly four decades, the community has dedicated itself to realizing this vision. Its continued vitality now rests with the next generation who have made the publishing complex their home.

The development of Paju Book City unfolded in two stages. The first phase focused on books and publishing, the second expanded to include film and video. Over time, the complex evolved into a broader cultural center that now hosts artists from nearly every discipline, from music and film to architecture and fine arts.

Many of Korea’s leading publishing houses — including Dasan Books, Dongnyok, Dulnyouk, Dolbegae, Danielstone, Munhakdongne, Sakyejul, Youlhwadang, Changbi, and Hangilsa — are based here. Their work is supported by major printing companies such as Sangjisa as well as logistics company Woongjin Booxen, the country’s largest distributor of publishing products. As a result, the complex draws a steady stream of publishing professionals from Europe, China, and beyond.

Paju Book City is also celebrated for its architecture. With 250 structures on a site of 470,000 pyeong (about 1.5 square kilometers), it comprises a vast, open-air architectural exhibition, each building telling its own story. Designed to trace the path of the sun and be open to wind, rain, and shifting light, the buildings embody the principle of coexistence with nature, embracing those who work within them. Created by leading architects, they are expressions of wisdom grounded in knowledge and form an eloquent testament to the publishing hub’s architectural identity. One of the most striking aspects of the complex was the collaboration between publishers and architects, who established an architectural charter with clear design guidelines.

Every building in Paju Book City was designed with careful attention to harmony between the architecture and the surrounding landscape. The headquarters of Dulnyouk Publishers, co-designed by Korean architect Kim Young-joon and Spanish architect Alejandro Zaera-Polo, received the RIBA Worldwide Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2006.
© Korea Copyright Commission

The design effort attracted major Korean architects, including Seung H-sang (Seung Hyo-sang), known for his “beauty of poverty” philosophy, as well as Kim Byung-yoon, Kim Young Joon, Kim In-cheurl, Hun Kim, and Min Hyun-sik. International figures such as German-born Florian Beigel (UK), Kazuyo Sejima ( Japan), and Alvaro Siza (Portugal) also contributed their expertise. Each spring and autumn, architecture students from in- and outside of Korea visit Paju to study this remarkable experiment in community design.

Equally committed to being an ecological city, the publishing nexus was conceived as a green urban space, long before environmentally friendly planning became widely discussed in Korea. The project’s founders insisted on preserving the site’s reed-lined streams and detention basins, which had been slated for land reclamation. Their decision has transformed the area into a natural sanctuary that now harbors a rich diversity of over nine hundred flora and fauna species, including endangered and protected ones. An in-house ecology committee continues to conduct field studies and birdwatching excursions. Thus, the complex nurtures both a vibrant book culture and a sense of community in a setting that encourages mindful engagement with nature.

Interior view of Myung Films Art Center in Paju Book City, a cultural complex with a cinema, cafe, showroom, archive, and screening room. Marking its 30th anniversary in 2025, Myung Films has left an indelible mark on Korean cinema with many significant titles such as The Contact (1997), which captured the sensibilities of a new generation through its portrayal of the then newly emerging online chat culture, and Joint Security Area (2000), which offered a powerful reflection on inter-Korean relations.
Courtesy of Myung Films Art Center

Another key factor is education, with the whole complex functioning as a massive, open-air campus. Specialized institutions give shape to this vision: the Paju Typography Institute (PaTI) pioneers new directions in design and visual expression; Myung Film Lab fosters the creative ambitions of emerging filmmakers; the Paju Editor School provides a capacity-building program for publishing editors; and Inmunclub promotes the arts and humanities through a range of lectures and other educational events. In addition, workshops focused on bookmaking such as the Paju Publishing Experience School and the Paju Book Dream School ensure that learning is both accessible and enjoyable for participants of all ages.

Paju Book City also hosts cultural events all year round. The Children’s Book Festival in spring and the Paju Booksori Festival in autumn serve as anchors, complemented by exhibitions, cultural performances, and gatherings held in book cafes, galleries, theaters, and museums.

Posters for Inmunclub, produced by graphic design studio Everyday Practice. Operated by the Paju Book City Cultural Foundation since 2014, the educational program presents a variety of humanities-focused events, including dramatic readings, lectures, and activity-based classes.
© Everyday Practice

A key recent addition to the calendar is Paju Fair Book & Culture, launched in autumn 2024. Set against the area’s natural backdrop, it’s a festive event that features concerts, theater performances, and fringe acts drawing from original literary works. The second edition of the event, held October 24–26 this year, attracted approximately 50,000 visitors, boosting the organizers’ longterm plan to create a global content market.

Paju Book City is a unique place where the value of books is continually reinterpreted. Inspired by literature, its creative community promotes the humanistic ideals books have always embodied through a steady stream of artistic and cultural content. As it refines its identity as an artistic and cultural hub, Paju Book City is building a strong foundation for sharing Korean culture with the world.