Internet Bookstores Top Book Purchase Channels... Discussions Begin in Earnest on Revising the Book Fixed Price System

Sales Double, Market Share Reaches 62%
Local Bookstores, Libraries, and Web Content Industry Call for Improvements to the Current System

An analysis has emerged suggesting that the book fixed price system, which was introduced to prevent a race to the bottom in book discounting, has instead intensified consumer concentration in large online bookstores. While the system has contributed to promoting cultural diversity in publishing and establishing order in book distribution to some extent, critics point out that large internet bookstores—able to combine a 10% discount, 5% mileage, and free shipping—have been its biggest beneficiaries.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Publication Culture Industry Promotion Agency held a "2026 Book Fixed Price System Improvement Direction Public Forum" on the 7th at the Changbi Seogyo Building in Mapo-gu, Seoul, to discuss the achievements and supplementary tasks of the current system. Korea Publication Culture Industry Promotion Agency

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Publication Culture Industry Promotion Agency held a "2026 Book Fixed Price System Improvement Direction Public Forum" on May 7, 2026, at the Changbi Seogyo Building in Mapo-gu, Seoul, where they discussed the achievements and areas for improvement of the current system. The book fixed price system allows sellers to offer discounts only within a limited range based on the price set by publishers. Since the 2014 revision, the current rules permit a maximum discount of 10% combined with up to 5% in mileage or similar economic benefits, totaling no more than 15% off the list price.

According to the "Analysis of the Impact of the Book Fixed Price System and Improvement Measures" released at the forum, domestic internet bookstore sales more than doubled from 1.2804 trillion won in 2014 to 2.565 trillion won in 2025. As of 2024, internet bookstores accounted for a 62% share of the book distribution market, the highest level in the world. During the COVID-19 period, growth rates reached 30.1% in 2020 and 8.0% in 2021 compared to the previous years.

Readers' book purchasing channels have also become increasingly focused on internet bookstores. In a survey conducted in December 2025 among 2,153 stakeholders—including bookstores, publishers, authors, and libraries—80.9% of readers reported purchasing books from internet bookstores, making it the most common channel. This was followed by large bookstores at 59.8%, internet shopping malls at 45.4%, and small local bookstores at 22.5%.

Evaluations of the current system were mixed. Among readers, 45.6% viewed the current book fixed price system positively, a higher rate than the 20.7% who gave a negative assessment. Support for the necessity of the system was reported by 96.4% of bookstores, 82.6% of authors, 73.3% of publishers, 62.4% of libraries, 60.5% of digital publication businesses, and 54.3% of readers. While there is a consensus on the necessity of the system itself, the main argument at the forum was that the gap between online and offline markets has widened in practice.

Baek Wonkeun, head of the Books and Society Research Institute, pointed out that the structure of discounts, mileage, and free shipping—effectively accessible only to large internet bookstores—has fueled polarization in the market. Depending on the circumstances of each sales channel, actual discount rates can range from 0% to 15%, which weakens the book fixed price system’s original intent of maintaining a "nationwide fixed price."

Within the publishing and bookstore industries, there have been calls to introduce a "strict book fixed price system." This would mandate sales at the list price and eliminate additional benefits such as discounts or mileage accumulation. Industry representatives argue that if price and delivery competition centered on large platforms continues, the survival of local bookstores and small publishers could be threatened.

The library sector, while agreeing with the aims of a strict fixed price system, emphasized that budget issues must be addressed first. The average number of collection materials purchased per public library decreased by 20.7%, from 5,903 volumes in 2015 to 4,679 volumes in 2024. During the same period, the number of published titles increased by 35.1%, further reducing the proportion of total publications that libraries could acquire. There is concern that unless budgets for library acquisitions increase sufficiently, implementing a strict fixed price system could lead to reduced diversity in library collections.

Separate regulations for digital content such as e-books, webtoons, and web novels have also become a key issue. The book fixed price system must undergo a validity review every three years according to the Publishing Industry Promotion Act. The current law requires the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to review whether to abolish, relax, or maintain the system for list price display, sales, and discount rate regulations every three years. However, there are currently no specific provisions for e-books or web content, which are produced, distributed, and consumed differently from print books.

Oh Bongok, professor of Webtoon and Web Novel Studies at Seoul Digital University, noted, "Webtoon and web novel authors create on digital platforms rather than in book form, and readers use episode-based payments or subscription services instead of purchasing entire books." He added, "In this environment, the book fixed price system may be seen less as a protective measure and more as a regulation that limits flexibility."

He further stated, "Even if the concept of the fixed price is retained, the system should acknowledge platform structures such as subscriptions, rentals, and promotional discounts. If excessive regulation applies only in Korea, the industry's competitiveness could be weakened."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.