This lecture was held at last year's Seoul International Book Fair. (Fair's official Facebook page)
By Margareth Theresia
The Seoul International Book Fair, the largest event of its kind in Korea and a platform connecting the nation and the world, will open on June 14.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on June 12 said it will jointly host the event from June 14-18 with the Korean Publishers Association at COEX Mall in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District.
Launched in 1954, the event marks its 65th edition this year.
On the upcoming event, the ministry said, "With a scale bigger than last year's, we will promote the appeal of Korean books to the world and take a massive leap toward becoming the center of global publication exchange beyond Asia and a forward base for marketing."
Under the theme "Nonhuman," the fair will feature exhibitions, lectures and seminars to reflect on marginalized people and nonhumans, moving away from a human-centric perspective. With a combined 600 books on display, the event will explore new ways of life beyond humanity.
These are tickets to this year's Seoul International Book Fair. (Fair's official Facebook page)
This year's fair attracted 530 publishers -- 360 domestic and 170 international -- from 36 countries and 215 authors and guest speakers -- 190 Korean and 25 foreign. The estimated 170 programs include exhibitions, side programs, lectures and seminars, and on-site events.
The guest country of honor is Sharjah, one of the seven United Arab Emirates and a hub of culture and arts. Designated UNESCO's World Book Capital in 2019, the emirate will host a digital art workshop, performances of traditional music, a series of lectures on themes like contemporary Arab literature, clique culture of Arab writers and the region's publishing market.
Marking its 60th anniversary of ties with Korea this year, Canada is this year's "spotlight country." The section Independent Publishing featuring publishers and bookstores specializing in indie and art books will be attended by 72 domestic independent publishers, along with booksellers and publishers from Thailand, Singapore, Japan, China and Taiwan.
"For Korea to become a nation with cultural appeal, the role of books, which form the basis of Korean culture, is important," Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo Gyoon said. "I hope that the Seoul International Book Fair emerges as a platform connecting Korea and the world and a hub of publication exchange and marketing that moves the world."
This is the promotional poster for this year's Seoul International Book Fair. (Seoul International Book Fair)