The 2026 Seoul International Book Fair, which opened on June 24, drew large crowds despite being a weekday. Long lines formed at the entrance for tickets, and inside, the exhibition hall was bustling with visitors exploring publisher booths and purchasing merchandise. Attendees moved energetically between booths, engaging with books, participating in activities, and enjoying the atmosphere.
The largest book festival in South Korea will run until June 28 at COEX in Samsung-dong, Seoul. A total of 538 companies from 18 countries are participating, including 361 domestic and 177 international publishers, showcasing 416 programs that include books, exhibitions, author talks, and interactive events.
“I came to get an autograph from author Cheon Seon-ran,” said 23-year-old Lim Chae-rin. “The fair's biggest appeal is being able to explore not only well-known large publishers but also small publishers and local bookstores all in one place.” She added, “I also plan to check out the beautiful booths and participate in various activities.”
Exhibitors designed their booths with unique concepts to attract visitors. Minumsa set up a capsule toy zone to showcase merchandise, while Munhaksoochup featured a pop-up book exhibition and a fate lottery event. Kimyoungsa offered a handwritten weight zone for transcription experiences, and Borim Publishing presented a book recommendation service with staff dressed as chefs. An engaging booth by Ansan Publishing featured phrases like “What’s wrong with books being fashion?” and “What’s wrong with decorating books?” to encourage young visitors to linger.
Major bookstores like Kyobo Bookstore, Yes24, and Millie's Library also highlighted interactive content. Yes24's reading and learning campaign, “Reading Run Base Camp,” attracted about 1,700 participants on the opening day alone. A representative from Yes24 noted, “This number includes participants in the Reading Run audio reading, and the actual number of booth visitors is much higher.”
The busiest spot was the Minumsa booth, where the lines for payment and visitor flow became tangled. Staff waved flags reading “Payment Line” and called out, “Please come this way if you are ready to pay,” as they worked to manage the crowd.
This year’s book fair centers around the theme of “Human Declaration (Homo Duduri),” focusing on the question, “What does it mean to be human in the age of artificial intelligence (AI)?”
At a book talk titled “Limited Edition Human Declaration,” novelist Kang Hwa-gil, music critic and author Bae Soon-tak, and poet Lee Je-ni shared their thoughts on humanity in the AI era. Bae remarked, “Humans often feel fear when something new emerges that has never existed before. It seems our anxiety about AI is amplified as we realize that trust and promises among humans are collapsing globally.”
A surprise book talk featuring former President Moon Jae-in, author Yoo Si-min, and former Blue House protocol secretary Tak Hyun-min drew a large crowd at the “Dolbegae-Pyeongsan Bookstore” booth. Attendees filled the area around the booth more than 30 minutes before the event started, and cheers erupted when Moon appeared. French novelist Bernard Werber also participated in a book talk themed “Imagination and Translation: Connecting Stories Across Cultures.”
The book fair will continue at COEX Halls A and B1 until June 29.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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