South Korea’s publishing industry is undergoing a notable shift, as a growing number of foreign publishers move to acquire translation rights to Korean novels before the books are released in their home market. The trend reflects increasing confidence in Korean literature’s ability to reach readers worldwide without first having to prove its commercial success at home. While prerelease rights sales have traditionally been more common in the film industry, the practice has gained significant ground in publishing over the past three years, driven by the expanding global readership for Korean fiction and the success of translated Korean titles across multiple markets.
One prominent example is Dolki Min’s new novel, I Want to Kill Goni, whose English-language rights were sold before its release in Korea on July 15, 2026. The deal was supported by the international reception of Min’s previous novel, Walking Practice, which has been published in the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland and Italy. Hwang Bo-reum also sold the rights to her novel The Upstairs Couple to publishers in 15 countries ahead of its release, securing advance payments exceeding 500 million won, or approximately $348,000. The deal followed the worldwide success of her earlier novel, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, which has sold more than one million copies globally.
International demand is not limited to authors with an established track record. Works by emerging writers are also reaching overseas markets before being published domestically. The Russian rights to Woo Shin-young’s young adult novel Black Poodle have already been sold, while You Yeong-gwang’s The Rainfall Market secured deals in six countries after being promoted at the London Book Fair. Rights to Lee On-hwa’s A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang have also been sold in 11 countries. Korean publishers say that waiting for a book to become successful at home is no longer a viable strategy for foreign publishers, who are increasingly acting early to secure the rights to promising new titles.
