Visitors on June 18, 2025, browse through books displayed at the Seoul International Book Fair at the convention center Coex in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District. (Lee Jeongwoo)
By Charles Audouin
The Seoul International Book Fair, the country's largest event of its kind, will run from June 24-28 at the convention center Coex in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District.
About 530 organizations including publishing groups and copyrights agencies will attend this year's fair. The International Pavilion will have booths featuring 17 countries, while the Korea Pavilion will host events including a book market, exhibitions, lectures and author signings.
The theme of this year's fair is "Homo Duduri" (A Declaration of Humanity).
"We aim to pose the fundamental question of what it means to be human in the age of artificial intelligence (AI)," the Korea Publishers Association, the organizer of the event, said. "This year's exhibitions, lectures and book talks will comprise a meaningful journey in which experts and readers explore the path of humanity and seek answers."
The AI-related programs will include a thematic exhibition that explores everything from passages from classical literature to modern questions about human existence that many ponder, as well as what it means to be human and the importance of these questions in the AI era.
France is this year's guest country of honor. To mark the 140th anniversary of the nation's relations with Korea, the program "Reading France" will feature 12 French authors including novelist Bernard Werber, picturebook author Anne Laval and philosopher Pascal Bruckner.
They will attend meet-and-greets with readers, discussions, workshops and book signings across a range of genres like novels, poetry, comics, children's literature, humanities and social sciences, philosophy and gastronomy, showcasing the latest trends in French literature and culture.
Business talks are also scheduled. Twelve select publishers from 10 countries invited under a fellowship program will hold export and import consultations with Korean publishing representatives at the fair's copyright center and boost exchanges and cooperation.
To mark UNESCO's commemoration this year of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Kim Gu, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will host an exhibition for the patriotic martyr. Visitors can read quotes reflecting his beliefs, see how such words apply to their lives and write their own resolutions.
Official poster for France as guest country of honor at this year's Seoul International Book Fair (Cultural section of French Embassy in Seoul)
caudouin@korea.kr
