Seoul International Book Fair, started in 1954, is Korea’s largest book festival that invites people around the globe to Seoul and introduces Korean literature and culture to the world.
Prominent Cannes-Winning Director Park Chan Wook will participate in Seoul International Book Fair along with author Bora Chung, actor Park Jeong-min, star chef Choi Kang-rok, the annual book fair’s organizer announced on Wednesday.
Park Chan Wook is renowned for his visually striking and thematically bold cinema. He gained international acclaim with Oldboy (2003), part of his Vengeance Trilogy, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes. He also directed Stoker (2013), a gothic thriller based on a screenplay by Wentworth Miller, and Decision to Leave(2022), which earned him Best Director at Cannes. His films often blend literary influences with visceral storytelling.
On 20 June, a session titled Park Chan Wook’s Literary Anchor’s, the filmmaker will explore how aspects of novels captivate him, how he approaches translating literature into cinema and literary works that have affected his artistic perspective.
The 2025 Seoul International Book Fair, hosted by Korean Publishers Association will be held on June 18 to 22 at Coex in Seoul, this year’s theme “The Last Resort” encourages attendees to reflect on the idea of refugee that people can find in each other, in a community that keeps us going in an era full of uncertainty. The event will feature 530 publishers and literary organizations including 100 overseas publishers from 16 countries.
Notable literary figures like International Booker-shortlisted author of ‘Cursed Bunny’ Bora Chung, will introduce her new book ‘The Children’s House’, while American-Korean author Kim Ju-hye of ‘Beasts of a Little Land’ to present her latest novel ‘City of Night Birds’. Star chef from Culinary Class War, Choi Kang-rok will launch his new cookbook.
This year Taiwan has been selected as SIBF’s Guest of Honor, the event will also include a dialogue between Rex How, writer and publisher at Locus Publishing Company, and picture book artist Lee Suzy. The fair will also include a book talk by Illustrator Bei Lynn and graphic novel artist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim.
-Reported by Samruddhi Poojary
Intern at The Korean Academy
Korean news analysis and reporting
