The South Korean government's bid to promote the country and its culture as a destination for Thai travellers continues this week with a book exhibition at the Korean Cultural Centre in Bangkok.
The success of Korean culture is based on storytelling, language and literature, according to Hahm Jeonghan, Charge d'Affaires of the Korean Embassy.
"I hope this exhibition will serve as an opportunity for Korean and Thai publishers to work together for the betterment of the publishing industry in both countries," he said last week.
Cho Jae Il, director of the Korean Cultural Centre, told the Bangkok Post that the Korean government wants to boost the country's reputation as a producer of books and e-books and the translations needed to attract foreign readers.
The "K-Book Exhibition", which will run until Oct 27, features 106 Korean books translated into the Thai language, including popular Korean novels such as Uncomfortable Convenience Store, Pachinko, A Store Selling Time, Omniscient Reader, The House with A Yard, and Almond.
He said the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea next year will handle a budget of 7.7 billion Korean won (about 206 million baht) for marketing and supporting books, e-books, and a network of authors with a mission to attract international markets.
"Such support will help our small and medium enterprises grow. For example, financial support for translations will help the growth of Korean books abroad. Our government's support will increasingly make K-books stand out on the shelf worldwide," he added.