VOL.97/2026.08

 

My, Your, and Our ? Last Resort

The 2025 Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF) comes to a successful close

 

2025.07.07

 

 

“A festival for all book lovers.” The 2025 Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF) was held for 5 days from June 18 to 22. Marking the 67th anniversary this year, approximately 530 companies (430 Korean and 100 international) from 17 countries participated in the fair, presenting various programs, including themed and special exhibitions, book talks, and seminars. Approximately 150,000 people visited the fair. General tickets were sold out even during the pre-sale period. Following is my visit to the SIBF, which has become even more vibrant with the rise of the so-called “Text Hip” phenomenon.

 

Gathered together by books, resonating with one another

 

When you reach a dead end, the last resort comes to mind. “When you are struggling or feeling lonely, what is your ‘last resort’?” This was the question posed to readers at this year’s Seoul International Book Fair. The main theme of the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair was “The Last Resort.” Compared to the themes of recent years (“Houyhnhnm” (2024), “NONHUMAN” (2023), “One Small Step” (2022), “斷續 punctuation” (2021), and “XYZ: entanglement” (2020)), this year’s theme felt relatively straightforward and approachable. Maybe that’s why I could hear people saying, “I booked my ticket because I liked the theme,” here and there.

 

 

The venue featured a themed exhibition area where visitors could leave traces of their thoughts. In the experience area, there were notes asking visitors to “plant your seeds in a place where you meet each other’s ‘last resort.’” Visitors carefully stacked their handwritten notes in the exhibition space, leaving traces of resonance. Among these were messages such as, “I believe in the seed of ‘me’ that my mother and father planted - good seeds planted by good people,” and “Always have a loving heart, no matter what.” The “blind bookshelf,” filled with books recommended by readers, was busy with people looking for “the last resort.” It was natural to empathize with the message that a precious phrase cherished in one’s heart can be a great source of strength to protect oneself.

 

Envisioning the future and possibilities of books together, transcending boundaries

 

SIBF attracts a diverse range of participants, including publishing companies, bookstores representing the Korean publishing industry, audiobook and other book-related service providers, independent publishers and bookstores, public institutions, associations, paper manufacturers, distributors, and small retailers. The exhibition hall A of this event was dominated by medium and large-sized publishers and bookstores which featured booths highlighting their brand identities, similar to previous years. Each company’s booth aimed to evoke an analog-style aesthetic while innovatively renewing their brand images and actively promoting them. Some even attempted collaborations with the food industry or unveiled various merchandise to offer fresh experiences.
The Book Village exhibition, which brought together independent publishers and art book publishers (producers) that demonstrated the diversity of Korean publications, was located in Hall B-1. This space drew attention to the future and diversity in the publishing industry, with a total of 61 participants taking part in the exhibition.

 

 

In spaces such as the Book Salon, Readers Hall, and Speakers Lounge, various lectures and seminars were held, including “Meet the Author,” “Book Talk,” “SIBF Book Lecture,” “Science Seminar,” and “Publishing Seminar.” Although most seats were fully booked in advance, the space was open, allowing more attendees than expected to spend time with the speakers. Some programs including “The Closest Time to You, Poetry Reading (Speaker: Do Jong-Hwan, Ahn Do-Hyun, Park Sung-Woo),” “When AI Writes Thousands of Novels a Day (Speaker: Chang Kang-Myoung),” “Park Chan-wook’s Literary Anchors (Speaker: Park Chan-Wook),” “Names We Don’t Want to Forget (Speaker: Kim Keum-Hee, Park Jeong-Min),” ”The Seeds of Kim Jang-Ha (Speaker: Kim Joo-Wan, Kim Hyun-Ji, Moon Hyung-Bae, Lee Jun-Ho, Jung Gyeong-Soon)” were particularly crowded with visitors, indicating people’s high interest in related fields and social issues.

 

 

Four books chosen as the “Best Books of Korea”

 

SIBF hosts a contest called “Best Book of Korea (BBK)” to discover Korean books that exhibit originality, aesthetic beauty, and uniqueness, and introduce them to readers in Korea and abroad. The contest categories are: Best Book Design in Korea (BBDK), Best Book for Children in Korea (BBCK), Best Book of Pleasure in Korea (BBPK), and Best Book of Wisdom in Korea (BBWK). Over 40 books selected through this process were displayed in a special exhibition space during the event period.
On the opening day of the fair, an award ceremony was held to announce the winners in each category. Four books were honored with the award: Mountain 239 (OIMU), The Man Obsessed with Flowers (Borim Press), The Witch Went to the Forest (Goble), and Dasan’s Diary (Gimm-Young Publishers, Inc.). Former President Moon Jae-In and former First Lady Kim Jung-Sook attended the ceremony as award presenters.

 

 

Meanwhile, The Last Resort, a limited edition, and a total of 10 books were unveiled for the first time under the title “Sweet but Sours” during the fair. Book talks and bookmark programs by participating authors were also held at the venue.

 

 

With Taiwan as the Guest of Honor (GoH), works of notable authors were showcased

 

The SIBF traces its origins back to the “Education Expo Book Exhibition” held in 1947. The first full-scale book fair, known as the National Book Exhibition, began in 1954. Since 1995, it has expanded its international presence, growing into a festival for the exchange of books and culture, as well as a hub for diplomacy and trade. Along with the growth of Korean culture, arts, and academics, it has established itself as a world-renowned book fair. Along with the Seoul International Book Fair, it operates the Korean Pavilion at international book fairs and hosts Guest of Honor events, providing a venue for exchange in Seoul with the rest of the world and introducing Korean books and culture to global audiences. Every year, it invites a Guest of Honor to Seoul, providing a platform for Korean readers to interact directly with overseas authors at the book fair.
Taiwan was the Guest of Honor (GoH) at the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair. The theme of this year’s Guest of Honor Pavilion was “Taiwan Sensibility (臺灣感性),” which refers to the “taste of culture and the temperature of emotions” created by Taiwan’s unique historical background and cultural foundations.
The exhibition covered six cultural areas: literature, lifestyle, painting and visual arts, land and travel, fasting and entertainment, and historical empathy. A total of 84 publishers showcased over 500 carefully selected books, highlighting their rich creative capabilities and translation and publishing achievements in the Korean language. The event featured a diverse selection of works, from masterpieces by veteran Taiwanese authors to works by young authors, engaging Korean readers in dialogue on topics such as women, new immigrants, LGBTQ+, social class, and national languages.

 

 

The Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), a Taiwanese cultural content agency, invited representative Taiwanese authors who have been introduced in Korea for a joint exhibition. Works by a total of 23 “notable authors,” including 14 writers Annpo Huang, Chen Xue, Freddy Fu-Jui Tang, Joanne Deng, Ka-Si?ng Tiunn, Kevin Chen, Maniniwei, Ping Lu, Syaman Rapongan, Wu Ming-Yi, Wu Xiaole, Xerses, Xiao Xiang Shen, and Yang Shuang-Zi, 6 picture book writer-illustrators Bei Lynn, Chen Pei-Hsiu, Hsiaochi Chang, Huang Yi-Wen, Lin Lian-En, and Meng-Yun Chiang, and 3 cartoonists Pam Pam Liu, PONY, and Zhou JianXin.
During the event, a total of 62 programs, including lectures and workshops by authors from Guest of Honor, were held at the Guest of Honor Pavilion, such as “Seeing Human Rights Through Children’s Books,” “Beyond Boundaries: Becoming Global Citizens,” and “Footprints in the Heart: The Connection Between People and Pets as Seen in Comics.” Visitors could also learn about recent developments in the Taiwanese publishing industry, such as the Grant for Publication of Taiwanese Works in Translation (GPT) project and plans for the 2026 Taipei International Book Exhibition.

 

May it grow into a cultural forest that we breathe and nurture together

 

 

As I left the exhibition hall after wrapping up my coverage, I reflected once again on the theme of this year’s SIBF. Observing how people from different generations had gathered under a single theme, I couldn’t help but think that this might hold the key to resolving much of the social conflict we face today. The various demands surrounding the fair could also be addressed in the same manner. As everyone agrees, the value of the fair lies in its role as a “cultural forest cultivated over the years by those who love books.” I hope that more people will open their hearts and listen to the voices calling for us to set aside fundamental and essential debates for the time being and prepare for the future together. We who have gathered here are each other’s pillars of support, long-time companions united by books. I anticipate that the experiences and knowledge gained through solidarity will accumulate and serve as fertilizer for creating a better world in the future.

 

 

---

Written by Kim Ji-Hye