[비즈한국] At the 'BrandBiz Conference 2025' held at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul on October 28, Iro, CEO of Your-Mind and the second speaker of the day, did not use flashy graphics or video materials. There wasn't even a single picture of a book. Instead, Iro filled a blank screen entirely with raw, hand-drawn sketches, personally demonstrating the message of 'a strong solidarity born from loneliness.'
Opened in 2009, Your-Mind is a bookstore that sells publications, art books, and merchandise produced by individuals and independent publishers. After moving to Yeonhui-dong, Seoul, in 2017, it has established itself as a representative independent bookstore. Since 2009, Your-Mind has also planned and operated the independent publishing book fair, 'Unlimited Edition (UE).'
Iro, CEO of Your-Mind, took the stage at the BrandBiz Conference 2025 under the theme 'Things Gained Through Time and Repetition, Rather Than Designing an Identity.' He used the term 'lonely' to describe the act of selling unfamiliar books—books not found in prominent large bookstores—in an unconventional way. According to Iro, while loneliness entails discomfort, a strong solidarity forms among those who have overcome that discomfort together. This point resonates with the conference's theme: 'You and I are Connected: Methods of Collaboration.'
Your-Mind has experienced its share of small failures. They tried selling steamed buns in the bookstore, screened films, and offered sparkling water with book purchases, but failed to draw crowds. Yet, it is not labeled a 'failed bookstore.' From an outside perspective, Your-Mind is seen as a bookstore that repeatedly makes novel and unfamiliar attempts.
The reason these failures became a point of differentiation for Your-Mind is due to Iro's 'repetition of failure.' Iro sought out the 'least failed' attempts from a pile of failures. He selected things that could be improved or those that were not overwhelmingly unsuccessful, and tried again. He explained, "I always consider the second attempt important. By trying a second time, you can supplement or update what you felt the first time. For those who experienced the first round, you can send a message that it is worth repeating. The context of experience is born in the gap created by time."
Your-Mind became 'lonely' by selling unconventional books not found in posh, large bookstores. Nevertheless, he continued his lonely pursuits. He created unique anniversaries not found anywhere else in the world, such as 'Logo Day,' 'Morning Day,' and 'Letter Day.' He 'sold' business cards made by artists. He collected and sold misprinted or damaged copies.
Iro said, "When experiences overlap, people start to comfortably accept the next unfamiliar attempt. I thought that a sensible business card made by an artist could be sold as a small advertisement board in itself. Reading a damaged copy doesn't diminish the experience of the text. In fact, customers began seeking out even more crumpled and crooked copies."
To overcome loneliness, he held distracting and inconvenient events—the book fair 'Unlimited Edition (UE).' Explaining the background of UE's planning, Iro said, "There is a perception that independent publications are unfriendly, with unknown authors, unfamiliar covers, and insufficient explanations. I thought that facing the closed-off and unfriendly nature of independent publications in person would turn into a different kind of energy."
This philosophy is reflected in the planning of UE. It was given the paradoxical name 'Unlimited Edition' to signify that although there are only limited editions of under 100 copies, they can gather to create infinite possibilities. The posters did not include images of books or people enjoying books. Although this year marks the 17th UE, it has never used the same logo twice. A single designer who understands UE’s identity best creates a new logo every year. The website does not archive materials from past UEs.
Iro stated, "Ultimately, it was a lonely choice. Loneliness comes with discomfort. If I had adopted a perception that fit books and events within a larger framework, I might have expanded the business faster. However, choosing the lonely path brought about strong solidarity. I cannot explain my values to the overwhelming majority, but it can be a means of gathering like-minded people." UE does not set themes or formats. While its identity is ambiguous and the venue is distracting, by repeating it for 17 years, more people have come to understand that ambiguity. Someone who understood the context brought others along.
Solidarity became fruition. Word-of-mouth has made UE an event visited by over 20,000 people every year. Iro said, "UE is light gray. The creators add the color, and the visitors reach the climax. The most important thing at UE is that the creators are the protagonists. High-density visitors who have overcome all discomfort know the creator's story and the context of UE. This also becomes energy for the creators. By forming strong solidarity with those who stayed until the end in an uncomfortable place, we have continued UE for 17 years."
By the end of the lecture, the white screen was filled with disorganized drawings. Iro left a message for the audience taking photos: "I hoped you would read it as a single painting when the screen was fully filled. Today's story is valid only here. Those who only look at the photos will not understand the context. It is a lonely thing to be unable to expand, but I can feel a powerful solidarity with those gathered here today."