Publication Industry Promotion Agency Announces 776 Titles Selected for 2025 Sejong Books

by Seo Miteum

Published 03 Nov.2025 15:39(KST)

353 Academic Titles and 423 General-Interest Titles Selected

The Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea announced on October 31 that it has finalized the selection of 776 academic and general-interest books, published as first editions between June last year and April this year, as the 2025 Sejong Books.

Pixabay

A total of 6,917 books were submitted this year for the Sejong Books Support Project, which aims to encourage the publication of quality books and promote a reading culture. The agency appointed 182 expert judges for each category (76 for academic books and 106 for general-interest books) to conduct preliminary reviews and two rounds of selection committee evaluations before finalizing the list of selected books.

The agency enhanced the credibility of the evaluation process by extending the preliminary review period from three weeks to four weeks and by shifting from disclosing only the general evaluation comments to releasing both the evaluation comments for each book and the names of the responsible judges. In addition, the minimum purchase support amount was increased from 8 million won to 8.7 million won, expanding the scale of support, and depending on demand from distribution sites, up to 10 million won will be provided.

An official from the agency stated, "To ensure that the Sejong Books Support Project can continue to focus on selecting and distributing quality publications, we will gather diverse opinions from the industry through the Sejong Books Operations Committee, which is composed of private sector experts in publishing, and will strive to continuously enhance the project's outcomes."

The selected books will be distributed in the same manner as last year, allowing libraries to directly choose the titles they wish to receive. Starting early next year, approximately 310,000 copies will be distributed to various domestic public libraries, small libraries, university libraries, and social welfare facilities. In addition, overseas distribution will be strengthened through demand surveys at institutions such as Korean Cultural Centers, Sejong Institutes, and local university libraries.