'Reconnecting Broken Daily Life with "BookSori of Seongsu-dong"... A Visit to the 2021 Seoul International Book Fair'

At Seongsu-dong Cultural Space SFactory
Largest Book Festival in Korea with 75 Publishers Participating
Audiobook Experience Space Crowded with Visitors

Over 200 Authors, Artists, and Experts Participating
Lectures and Talks by Celebrities like Hangang, Jeong Yu-jeong, Bernard Werber Available

Exterior view of S Factory in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, where the '2021 Seoul International Book Fair' is being held.

On an autumn day with a high blue sky and a cool breeze stimulating the desire to read, I visited the cultural space S Factory in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Here, the country's largest book festival, the ‘2021 Seoul International Book Fair,’ is being held. Upon entering Building D, neatly stacked piles of books catch the eye. Somehow, being in a space filled with books brings a sense of calm. There are no noisy chatterers. The sight of kind-faced ‘book lovers’ gathering one by one for a reading stroll is heartwarming.

Offline Market Opened with Participation of 75 Publishers

Visitors are browsing books at the publisher offline market set up in Building B of the '2021 Seoul International Book Fair'.

At booths bearing the names of publishers such as ‘Minumsa,’ ‘Open Books,’ and ‘Our School,’ various new books are on sale. When a popular book was placed on the stand at a 10% discount at one publisher’s booth, people flocked to it. Park Yuwon (22), a university student who visited after morning classes, said, "I came to buy books recommended by my professor during class," adding, "There are books cheaper than online and many things to see, so I plan to look around here and there."

The space where visitors could experience audiobooks, which have recently seen a surge in users, was also crowded. Audiobook streaming company Storytel provided famous books such as the bestselling mystery novels ‘Irrevocable Promise’ and ‘The Doll Murder Case,’ and ‘Disney Villains,’ featuring Disney characters as protagonists, as audiobooks at their dedicated booth. Various goods such as eco-bags and mugs were also sold. Park Seryeong, head of Storytel Korea, said, "We participated in this event to convey the charm of audiobooks to book lovers," adding, "It has received a good response as more than 50,000 domestic and international audiobooks can be easily accessed via smartphones."

The Seoul International Book Fair is an annual event that originated from the National Book Exhibition in 1954 and was elevated to an international book fair in 1995. Ju Ilwoo, representative of the Seoul International Book Fair, said, "Before COVID-19, it was a large-scale event with about 400 publishers participating, but this year, due to the impact of COVID-19, 75 publishers are holding an offline market," adding, "However, some of the on-site events that were scaled down last year have been partially restored, and various attractions have been prepared online as well."

Participation of Over 200 Writers, Professors, and Artists

At the '2021 Seoul International Book Fair,' Choi Jaecheon, Ewha Womans University Distinguished Professor, is giving a lecture.

A small stage was also set up in one corner of Building D. It is a space where writers, professors, and cultural artists participating in the book fair give lectures.

On this day, Choi Jaecheon, a biologist and ambassador for the book fair from Ewha Womans University, took the microphone. He gave a one-and-a-half-hour lecture under the theme ‘Geutnit, Nature Tells Us to Take a Break.’ ‘Geutnit’ is an old word meaning interruption and continuation, and it is also the theme of this book fair. It implies reflecting on whether the pause in our ordinary lives caused by COVID-19 is a full stop or just a comma to catch our breath.

Professor Choi revealed that while preparing his lecture in line with the theme of the book fair, he thought of the ‘ellipsis (…)’. He said, "Although it is not a definite expression, the ellipsis, which is used to imply many things, seemed to encompass everything we are currently experiencing," adding, "It is a symbol that makes us ponder how the life changed by the virus will continue."

Professor Choi also cited climate change as a cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. He argued that the activity range of bats, which mainly inhabit tropical regions, expanded to areas such as Asia due to global warming, spreading the virus. He pointed out the destruction of biodiversity as a more serious problem. He explained, "About 12,000 years ago, when humans began farming, humans and livestock (dogs and cats) accounted for less than 1% of all living organisms, but today they account for 96 to 99%," adding, "The ecosystem is centered around Homo sapiens, which has made it easier for viruses to spread."

At this book fair, more than 200 writers, humanities, social science, and science experts, and artists participated, including Professor Choi. Visitors can listen to over 40 lectures and talks delivered by celebrities such as Han Kang, Jung Yoo-jung, Bernard Werber, Maxim Chattang, and actress Moon Sori. Overseas authors can also be met online through video connections.

Various Side Events Including Exhibitions and Experiences

At the '2021 Seoul International Book Fair,' visitors are viewing the special exhibition 'BBDWK.'

Moving to Building A, there were three unique exhibitions and various side programs prepared.

The exhibition ‘Geutnit: New World Coming’ offers a perspective on the 70-year history of the book fair. It three-dimensionally expresses authors, readers, and the time and space surrounding books. The ‘Digital Book Seminar’ corner introduces the history and famous works of domestic webtoons and web novels. Here, visitors can draw webtoon characters on transparent paper placed on a screen. It was especially popular among children. The special exhibition ‘BBDWK’ showcases the ‘Most Beautiful Books in the World,’ hosted by the German Book Art Foundation since 1963. Visitors can appreciate book designs from around the world, including the Korean book ‘FEUILLES,’ which won this year’s Most Beautiful Book in the World ‘Golden Letter’ award.

A webtoon character drawing experience space set up in the 'Digital Book Seminar' corner of the '2021 Seoul International Book Fair'.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.