Korean Conference Builds Bridges to West
by Louisa Ermelino -- Publishers Weekly, 12/2/2008 8:12:00 AM
With the goal of fostering cooperation throughout Asia, Paju Bookcity, a publishing complex for planning, producing and distributing books located in South Korean and supported by the Korean government, held its third forum late last month with the theme of “Collaboration through Competition.”
A city built “specifically for books” and “the spirit for common good” related to Korea’s tumultuous history of colonization and war, Paju houses meeting halls, outdoor event spaces, restaurants, libraries, bookstores, and a guesthouse. The overall design, using wood and glass in large spaces with minimal modern furniture is meant to promote serenity and “dreaming”.
Participants from China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Viet Nam, the Philippines and Austria represented all aspects of publishing including booksellers, university professors, librarians, publishing executives, journalists and directors of publishing organizations. Discussions and panels covered the challenges from the Internet and other forms of media, how to promote literature and reading, and how to reinvigorate bookstores.
With most books now flowing from the Americas and Europe to Asia, there is a serious commitment to disseminate Asian literature throughout the world, with grants for translation offered and the ultimate goal of creating a worldwide database of Asian titles.
Professor Kim Woo-Chang’s keynote speech spoke of the eastern and western sensibilities and how Asia must retain its traditions while also incorporating western ways of conducting business and compared Paju bookcity to Irvine California where he taught for many years and which developed around technology.
The attendees in English, Korean, Japanese and Korean speaking groups toured Paju’s operations, visited the border with North Korea and sampled the night life of Seoul, an experience in the personal aspects of ‘globalization.”
