Kim Ho-woon, president of the Korean Writers' Association, poses during an interview with The Korea Times at his office in Yangcheon District, southwestern Seoul, Sept. 2. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul
Koreans have long been known for their low reading rates and while the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a global increase in reading due to more time spent alone, Korea's numbers continue to decline.
Government statistics back this downward trend. According to the national reading survey conducted every two years by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korean adults read an average of 3.9 books from September 2022 to August 2023, a drop from the 4.5 books recorded in the previous survey conducted from September 2020 to August 2021.
Amid the continued decline in reading rates, Kim Ho-woon, president of the Korean Writers' Association, calls on writers to reconnect with their audiences.
"The owners of literature are the readers, not the writers. I write novels, but I don't write them just for myself to read. I write with the purpose of having more readers enjoy my work," Kim said during an interview with The Korea Times on Sept. 2. "This doesn't mean that writers should produce a lot of cheap writing. It means that we should put readers on a pedestal and write for them."
Seen is a cover for September edition of monthly magazine Literature Monthly. Since 1968, the Korean Writers' Association has published the magazine enabling readers to enjoy works of the associations' member writers. Courtesy of Korean Writers' Association
With around 16,000 members today, the association, which was established on Dec. 31, 1961, covers 10 literary genres, including poetry, essays and novels.
Born in 1950, Kim debuted as a writer in 1978 after winning the newcomer award in the fiction category of the Literature Monthly, a monthly magazine published by the writers' guild.
Since then, he has published over 30 works including novels, essays and humanities books and remains active in creative writing. Since becoming president of the association in 2023, he has been strengthening various support measures to aid writers in their creative endeavors.
The president stressed the importance of modernizing the literary world and highlighted the decline in reading habits as a critical issue.
"The reason people read less today is because we haven't properly taught the importance of reading," Kim said, pointing out that many people, including writers themselves, have strayed from books.
Kim advocates for a paradigm shift in both the literary world and broader society. He believes that writers should produce literature that connects deeply with readers, as the true value of literature comes from its ability to forge a connection between the writer and readers.
"Literature is something that people can enjoy in their everyday lives, not something to be seen as lofty or distant,” he said.
Bridging gap with technology
To bridge the gap between writers and readers, the president of the writers' guild is now focusing on digital platforms, hoping for a future where digital platforms can democratize literature, restoring the reach and influence it once had.
“In 1978, when I debuted, literature had a different place in society. At that time, reading was one of the main sources of entertainment," he recalled. “Today, literature competes with countless other forms of entertainment, but I believe technology offers a solution for literature as well.”
Kim has already taken steps by working on the upcoming launch of a webzine for the association, aiming to engage readers who do not buy physical books anymore.
“The Literature Monthly, a monthly magazine published by our association, has a circulation of around 10,000 copies. By converting some of this readership to digital subscriptions, I believe we can increase participation and engagement,” Kim said.
The goal is to transform 50 percent of the print readership to digital, which would reduce costs while increasing access. To attract a broader audience, the online magazine will also enable readers to write their own reviews, and forums where users can submit their own work. In this way, Kim hopes to foster an interactive literary community.
Another ambitious project the president is working on is the launch of YouTube broadcasts dedicated to literature. With a studio already set up at the association's headquarters in Seoul, he plans to launch several channels. These will include literary news, regional writer networks, book introduction and poetry readings.
"We need to make literature more accessible and exciting for people," Kim explained.
The association has over 200 branches worldwide, from Washington, D.C., to Singapore, and Kim plans to use these connections to build a global network of writers and readers.
"We want to use digital tools to expand literary culture, not just within Korea but globally,” he said.
Literature vs. AI
Despite the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in the creative industry, Kim remains optimistic, seeing opportunities for writers rather than threats.
“AI will never replace the human touch in literature, but it can assist writers in many ways,” he said. “People say that writers will suffer because AI can now write poetry and novels. However, I tell them not to worry. Programs will soon emerge that can determine to what extent writers have utilized AI in their creative activities. As a result, authors who publish works through AI will face public criticism and naturally, a process of social purification will be made.”
He added that there should be regulations ensuring that AI doesn't infringe on human creativity or rights.
“We should be able to see what kinds of literary works that AI has learned for machine learning. And we need to make sure that authors are properly paid from the AI platform developers for their work,” he said.
Kim also pointed out that globalization of the Korean literary scene is not about winning international awards, such as the Nobel Prize in Literature or the International Booker Prize, but about nurturing a strong literary culture domestically.
"It's not about getting a prize, it's about ensuring that literature is part of everyday life. When we have a strong literary culture at home, the rest will follow," he said.