Seoul International Book Fair Opens Amidst 'Text-Hip' Trend

By Lee Minji

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul International Book Fair, the country's largest literary event, is set to open Wednesday, with about 150,000 visitors expected as the "text-hip" trend -- with reading now stylish among younger generations -- continues.

Some 538 publishers and industry organizations from 18 nations will take part in the 68th edition, which runs through Sunday at the COEX exhibition center in southern Seoul.

A total of 326 authors and speakers from South Korea and abroad will also take part in the five-day event, with advance tickets already sold out.

Under the theme "Homo Duduri," this year's book fair seeks to navigate what it means to be human in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), according to the organizers.

Duduri, an ancient name for a blacksmith, is the archetype of a "dokkaebi," or goblin, that appears in old Korean texts.

"Today, the fire of AI blazes before us. No matter the question, AI answers without hesitation. It writes novels, composes songs and directs films in an instant. There is no way to avoid this fire. What kind of wisdom, then, do we need in the face of these fierce flames?" Korean novelist Kim Yeon-su wrote in a theme statement co-authored with AI models Claude and Gemini.

"Here lies the fundamental difference between humans and AI. AI closes the door of possibility with the most probable answer. Humans reopen that door with a greater question. ... And books are the records of those great questions," the statement read.

The book fair will bring together renowned writers to answer these questions, including novelists Baik Sou Linne, Chung Bora, Eun Hee-kyung and Kim Ae-ran, as well as poets Ahn Mi-ok and Oh Eun.

To mark the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between South Korea and France, France has been invited as the guest country of honor for this year's book fair.

French writers, including novelist Bernard Werber, children's literature authors Marie-Aude Murail and Anne Laval, and philosopher Pascal Bruckner, will take part in events exploring French literature and culture.

Seminars on challenges for the publishing industry, in the wake of the AI boom, and publishing landscapes in Bangladesh, Singapore, Taiwan and Turkey, among other countries, are also scheduled to take place, according to the organizers.