A cultural content planner with 29 years across publishing, newspapers, magazines, PR and advertising, Kim Young-hoe has edited more than 300 book titles — including a work by former Cheong Wa Dae policy chief Jang Ha-sung — and trained over 700 publishing professionals, bringing that media expertise to bear on district communications.
Kim Young-hoe, head of the press team at Dongdaemun-gu Office, received a commendation from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Monday at a ceremony marking the 40th Book Day, held at the international conference hall on the 20th floor of the Korea Press Center.
Kim entered the publishing industry in 1997 and has spent roughly 29 years as a cultural content planner working across publishing, newspapers, magazines, public relations and advertising. Starting from planning and producing books, he built broad experience spanning content development, reporting, production and promotion.
He held planning and editing roles at major publishers including Prunsoop, Saemteo, Gaya Media and Cheongrim Publishing, and contributed reporting and writing at outlets including Health Chosun and Daily Art. At Daily Art he served as culture editor, covering architecture, music and publishing. He later expanded into PR and advertising by overseeing public relations agency operations at SK Communications.
Over his career, Kim planned and edited more than 300 book titles spanning literature, humanities, history, social affairs, arts and health — among them "Korean Capitalism" by Jang Ha-sung, former policy chief at Cheong Wa Dae. Beyond editing, he organized author lectures, book concerts and historical and cultural field trips, creating more opportunities for books to reach readers.
Kim also devoted himself to publishing education and research. He lectured on publishing editing and content planning at Korea Polytechnic University I, Shingu College and Hanseo University, training more than 700 aspiring and working publishing professionals. In 2008 he won the 14th Korea Publishing Academic Award for the country's first research paper on a professional certification system for copyright practitioners. He recently published a study analyzing the types and evolving trends of "book trailers" — promotional videos for books in the digital age.
That accumulated experience now informs his work in media and communications at Dongdaemun-gu. Drawing on his background in content planning from publishing, reporting and writing from print journalism, and hands-on skills from PR and advertising, Kim focuses on identifying the news value in district administration and conveying it in ways that resonate with both journalists and residents.
He has worked particularly to move beyond one-way policy announcements typical of government agencies, instead identifying stories with genuine news value from a reporter's perspective and tailoring messages to suit the characteristics of each outlet and the interests of its audience — raising the standard of communications at the local government level.
"Just as a good book only shines when it reaches its readers, a good policy only has meaning when it is properly communicated to residents," Kim said. "I want to share Dongdaemun-gu's worthwhile stories with as many people as possible, drawing on the experience I have built up over the years."
Book Day was established in 1987 to mark Oct. 11, the date the Tripitaka Koreana was completed. At this year's 40th anniversary ceremony, government commendations were presented to individuals who have contributed to the development of publishing culture.
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