Moonji Publishing Company was established in 1975 by the initiative of four literary critics – Byoung-Ik Kim, Joo-Youn Kim, Chi-Soo Kim and Hyoun Kim. They were the editors of the quarterly literary magazine “Literature and Intelligence”. As the first generation to learn the Korean language after the liberation from Japan and as the “4.19 Generation”, they were one of the leading groups to revaluate Korean literature with independent viewpoints, build self-consciousness in Korean literature and bring fresh movements to it. Which started out as an active community of activists of literary ideologies, Moonji Publishing Company began publishing books mainly concerning literature before long. Series such as “Literature and Intelligence Selected Poets” and “Literature and Intelligence Selected Novels” discovered new poets and novelists. It also reappraised hidden poets and writers who couldn’t get appropriate valuation. These kinds of efforts enriched Korean literature. Novelists, Soon-Won Hwang, In-Hoon Choe, Choung-Joon Yi, Sae-Hui Jo, Won-Il Kim, Joung-Hui Oh and In-Soung Yi, poets, Dong-Gyoo Hwang, Hyoun-Jong Joung, Gyoo-Won Oh, Gwang-Gyoo Kim, Ji-Woo Hwang, Soung-Bok Yi and Hyoung-Do Gi, and other writers who were discovered or recovered by Moonji are rated as the cream of the crop in Korean literature.

“Literature and Intelligence” was discontinued by the notorious “Press Abolition and Amalgamation” policy in 1980 after publishing 40 issues. To continue communicating with the society, Moonji started the “Modern Intelligence” series and published 117 volumes so far. From this point on, Moonji expanded its horizon, and planned various series on human knowledge and social science. Edited by the new generation critics, Oh-Ryong Gwon, Min-Yup Soung, Gwa-Ri Joung and Joung-Sun Hong, the quarterly literary magazine “Literature and Society” was born in 1988. Unlike the “Literature and Intelligence” Generation, the new generation of literary critics vigorously accepted the changes in Korean literature which began in the 80’s. While stressing the importance of social influence on literature, they also tried to be the vanguard in the aesthetical aspects of literature.

In 2000, the management team of the “Literature and Intelligence” generation withdrew from the front, and the “Literature and Society” generation took over. Since then Moonji actively published new series, “Seonam Oriental Academic Works” and “Daesan World Literatures”, and expanded its domain to children and teenage readers – “Moonji Kids”, “Moonji Blue Book”.

Moonji Publishing Co., Ltd. is a joint-stock company with 54 shareholders – comprised of artists and scholars who are currently active poets, writers, critics and philosophers. Twenty editors in the planning board or sectional board examine manuscripts every week, and they decide on the planning and publication through the editing meetings.

Moonji Publishing Company has published around 1500 volumes of books, and currently plan and publish 30 series including “Modern Classics”, “Modern Literary Theories”, “Moonji Spectrum”, “Deep Reading Korean Literature”, “Studies on the History of Korean Society” and “Author Theories”.

Moonji is the leading publisher of Korean literature and academic works. However, we won’t stop at this peak. We will continue to unearth authors with potential and put maximum efforts in drawing the map of profound knowledge that will lead the way in Korea.