An Era Where AI Answers, Books Pose Questions… The Seoul International Book Fair Opens on the 24th of Next Month

Held at COEX from June 24-28
France as Guest of Honor; Over 530 Publishers from 18 Countries to Participate, “In an era where AI quickly delivers answers, the Seoul International Book Fair this year seeks the role of humans in ‘questioning.’ South Korea’s largest book festival, the ‘2026 Seoul International Book Fair,’ will be held at COEX A&B1 in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, from the 24th to the 28th of next month.”,
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, “According to the Korean Publishers Association and the Seoul International Book Fair on the 25th, this year’s theme is ‘Human Declaration: Homo duduri.’ ‘Duduri’ is a mythical figure found in ancient Korean literature and is also an old term for blacksmith. In an era where AI presents high-probability answers and efficiency quickly, the Book Fair proposes humans who continue to ask questions beyond those answers as ‘Homo duduri.'”,
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, “The theme itself reflects the nature of the book fair in the AI era. Novelist Kim Yeon-su co-wrote the theme with AI models ‘Claude Sonnet 4.6’ and ‘Gemini3.’ Kim selected 10 classic pieces exploring human existence and conversed with AI, completing the theme through this process. This journey is included in the limited edition book ‘Human Declaration: Homo duduri,’ which will be unveiled at the fair. The book also features writings from 11 individuals including writers Kim Yeon-su and Jang Kang-myeong, poet An Tae-woon, and music critic Bae Soon-tak.”,
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, “This year, the guest country is France. Celebrating the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, there will be a guest country program under the theme of ‘Reading France.’ Authors familiar to Korean readers, such as novelist Bernard Werber, children’s author Marie-Aude Murail, philosopher Pascal Bruckner, and picture book author Anne Laval, along with 12 other French authors and experts, will attend the book fair. Twenty-three publishers and institutions will take part in the French Guest Pavilion.”,
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, “The book fair will host more than 530 publishers and publishing-related organizations from 18 countries including Korea. A total of 180 publishers and organizations from 17 overseas countries including France, Germany, Canada, Taiwan, Singapore, and the United States will operate booths in the International Hall. Meanwhile, 12 selected entities from 10 countries such as Turkey, the UK, Indonesia, Mongolia, and Vietnam will meet with domestic publishers at the Copyright Center.”,
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, “The Domestic Pavilion will feature a book market, book exhibitions, lectures, and signing events. The ‘Book Village,’ introducing art books and independent publications, will host 110 independent publishers. The Taiwan Independent Publishers Association, Japan Independent Publishing Expo, and Singapore Art Book Fair will also join, showcasing the trends in Asian independent publishing.”,
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, “Lecture programs will focus on the relationship between AI, humans, and books. ‘Topic Lectures’ will feature novelist Eun Hee-kyung, Kim Ae-ran, Baek Soo-rin, Jeong Bo-ra, Lee Ju-hye, Park Seon-woo, and poets Oh Eun, Hwang In-chan, and An Mi-ok. The ‘Topic Seminar’ will involve neuroscientist Jang Dong-seon, musician Sunwoo Jung-a, actor Kim Shin-rok, novelist Jang Ryu-jin, music director Dalparan, and musician Seong Gi-wan discussing human thought and creation in the AI era.”,
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, “An overseas author program is also prepared. Park Ji-sun, author of the LA Times Book Award-winning ‘Luminous,’ will hold a conversation with Korean SF author Kim Cho-yeop. Kwon Oh-kyung, chosen by the New York Times as one of the ‘four notable authors,’ will meet novelist Pyeon Hye-young. Taiwanese author Chen Si-hong and Chan Wai, a screenwriter planner of the movie ‘Comrades: Almost a Love Story,’ will also conduct book talks.”,
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, “‘Meet the Author’ sessions will feature figures like Choi Jae-cheon, president of the Biodiversity Foundation, creator Im La-ra, Jeonggwan Monk, actor Shin So-yul, picture book author Lee Su-ji, musical ‘Laundry’ screenwriter Choo Min-joo, photographer Lee Ok-to, and novelist Hwang Bo-reum. The ‘SIBF Book’ program will see authors like Jeong Se-rang and Park Sang-young, and poets Go Sun-kyung, Kim Bok-hee, An Hee-yeon, and Yoo Seon-hye, as well as temple cuisine master Sunjae Monk presenting new books and meeting readers.”,
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, “The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will hold a ‘Kim Gu Special Exhibition’ marking the ‘150th Anniversary of Kim Gu’s Birth Commemorated by UNESCO in 2026.’ It will include a participatory program where visitors can read Kim Gu’s writings and create their own declarations.”,
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, “The book fair will operate from 10 AM to 7 PM from the 24th to the 27th of next month, and from 10 AM to 5 PM on the last day, the 28th. Admissions will close 30 minutes before the fair ends. Adult tickets are priced at 12,000 won and youth tickets at 6,000 won. Early bird tickets will be sold from the 8th to the 12th of next month, and general tickets from the 13th to the 23rd. On-site and online purchases of same-day tickets will be available this year.”,
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