Culture ministry backs Korea gathering for global printing industry

The culture ministry said that printing-industry representatives from 33 countries will gather in South Korea for a global conference, bringing the event back to the country for the first time in a decade.

The 2026 World Printing Congress General Assembly and International Conference will run from Aug. 18 through Aug. 21 at KINTEX in Goyang and sites in Paju, with about 500 domestic and overseas participants expected. The Korea Printing Culture Association and the Korea Federation of Printing Cooperatives are hosting the event. Korea secured the right to host the gathering at the congress's 2025 general assembly in Zurich.

"With the printing culture industry changing rapidly in the age of artificial intelligence, the ministry plans to actively support the sharing of a vision for its future and help the domestic industry engage with global markets and grow," First Vice Minister Kim Young-soo said.

An international conference on Aug. 19 will examine artificial intelligence's impact on printing equipment, technical standards and digital printing markets. David Zwang, president of the U.S.-based Ghent Workgroup, will deliver a keynote on global printing-industry trends. Other sessions will address printing equipment, standards, eco-friendly printing, ESG management and printing inks.

Participants will also visit K-Print 2026, an international printing equipment exhibition running from Aug. 19 through Aug. 22. The exhibition will feature digital printing, smart automation and eco-friendly materials, and the culture minister will present commendations to domestic contributors to the development of the printing culture industry and technology. Tours of Prinpia and Today Art in Paju are set for Aug. 20, followed by individual business consultations on Aug. 21.