Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
World Print & Communication Congress returns to Korea after 10 years
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By Jhoo Dong-chan
The 2026 World Print & Communication Congress, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will run from Tuesday through Friday at the KINTEX exhibition center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and in nearby Paju.
Hosted in Korea for the first time since 2016, this year's congress unites representatives from 33 nations and nearly 500 global industry leaders under the banner "A Global Printing Festival Connecting the World Through Hallyu." Vice Culture Minister Kim Young-soo will deliver welcoming remarks, Tuesday, for the general assembly’s official opening ceremony at KINTEX.
Founded in 1989 in Brussels, the World Print & Communication Forum serves as a premier international platform driving innovation across the global publishing and print sectors. Korea joined as a full member in 2003. National influence within the forum has expanded steadily, culminating in 2024 with the election of Kim Byung-soon, president of the Korean Printers Association, as forum president. Korea subsequently secured hosting rights for this year's congress during the 2025 assembly in Zurich.
The four-day event features a packed schedule tailored to industry evolution. An international conference Wednesday will examine the future of print in the artificial intelligence era, headlined by David Zwang of the U.S.-based Gain Technology Group alongside expert panelists from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Korea. The congress runs in tandem with K-Print 2026, a major international printing equipment exposition. Delegates will tour printing facilities in Paju Thursday before concluding the event with business matchings and networking sessions Friday.
Marking the forum's return to Korea after a decade, ministry officials highlighted the congress as a critical showcase for domestic printing prowess and technological capabilities.
"The World Print Congress, returning to Korea after 10 years, serves as an invaluable opportunity to showcase the strength and technology of K-print culture to the world," the vice culture minister said. "In an era of rapid AI-driven transformation, the culture ministry is committed to sharing a forward-looking vision for the print media industry and actively supporting domestic companies as they expand globally."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.