Filmmaker Park Chan-wook to speak at Seoul International Book Fair
Cannes-winning director joins diverse lineup alongside author Bora Chung, actor Park Jeong-min, star chef Choi Kang-rok
Filmmaker Park Chan-wook, renowned for his visually striking and psychologically complex films, will participate in the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair, the annual book fair's organizer announced Wednesday.
Park has often drawn inspiration from literature, adapting several novels into screen productions including the HBO series "The Sympathizer" (2024) and the BBC series "The Little Drummer Girl" (2019).
During his talk on June 20, titled Park Chan-wook's Literary Anchors, Park will discuss elements of novels that captivate him, the process of translating literature into cinema, and the books that have deeply influenced his creative vision, according to SIBF.
The 2025 SIBF, organized by the Korean Publishers Association and held June 18-22 at Coex in Seoul, invites visitors to reflect on the idea of personal refuge in uncertain times under the theme, "The Last Resort." This year's fair will welcome over 530 publishers and literary organizations including 100 overseas publishers from 16 countries.
A diverse lineup of Korean authors will be present, including Kim Ae-ran, Kim Cho-yeop, Kim Ho-yeon, Park Seo-lyeon, Sohn Won-pyung, Jang Ryu-jin, Cho Ye-eun, Cheon Seon-ran and Choi Jin-young.
International Booker-shortlisted author Bora Chung of "Cursed Bunny," will debut her new release, "The Children's House," while Korean American author Kim Ju-hye of "Beasts of a Little Land" will discuss her latest novel, "City of Night Birds."
Actor and publisher Park Jeong-min will also join the lineup, and star chef Choi Kang-rok from "Culinary Class Wars" will unveil his new book.
Taiwan has been selected as this year's Guest of Honor. Featured events will include a conversation between Rex How, writer and publisher at Locus Publishing Company, and picture book artist Lee Suzy. Illustrator Bei Lynn and graphic novel artist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim will also have a book talk.
Tickets are available at a 50 percent early bird discount (6,000 won) until May 27. From May 28 to June 17, a 30 percent discount (8,000 won) will apply. Standard adult admission is 12,000 won.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Seoul Releases Global Tourism Campaign Featuring Star Chef Edward Lee
SEOUL, South Korea, June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Seoul Tourism Organization is set to release a global promotional campaign featuring renowned star Chef and Seoul Honorary Ambassador, Edward Lee. The first video, "Seoul Table for One," will premiere on June 5th on Seoul's official tourism YouTube channel, VisitSeoul TV ( Chef Edward Lee gained international acclaim through appearances on the Emmy, James Beard, and Critics' Choice Award-winning series, Bravo's "Top Chef" and recently starred in Netflix's hit culinary series "Culinary Class Wars," solidifying his reputation as a global culinary celebrity. "Seoul Table for One" highlights Lee's gastronomic journey through Seoul's diverse food scene. From beloved local eateries that have captured Korean hearts for generations to the bustling food stalls at Noryangjin Fish Market and Gwangjang Market, elegant fine-dining restaurants, and vibrant street food carts, Edward Lee introduces the authentic flavors of Seoul to a worldwide audience. The second installment, "Solo in Seoul," scheduled for release on June 11th, features Edward Lee exploring the city independently, showcasing unique experiences and solo-friendly travel routes. Highlights include riding the tram past Changgyeonggung Palace, hiking Bugaksan Mountain, wandering through Insadong's charming alleyways, taking the Seoul Sky Bridge tour, and enjoying breathtaking views aboard SEOULDAL, a tethered helium balloon attraction at Yeouido park. The promotional campaign is a collaborative effort between the Seoul Tourism Organization and NBCUniversal. The videos will be distributed through various social media platforms and aired on NBCUniversal platforms, significantly enhancing global reach across North America, Europe, and Asia. "Through global celebrity chef Edward Lee, we aim to promote Seoul's charm to international travelers, thereby boosting global tourism demand," said an official from the Seoul Tourism Organization.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Witness the power of images to change the world: The First SmallRig Awards Announce 22 Global Winners
SHENZHEN, China, June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2025 International Image Culture Week kicked off in Shenzhen with the highly anticipated 2025 SmallRig Awards Ceremony, where 22 prestigious awards were presented to exceptional global creators. The 2025 International Image Culture Week covers three main sections: 2025 Visionary Storytellers Industry Forum, SmallRig Awards Ceremony, and public image experience activities such as The Social Impact Image Pitching Sessions, Filmmaking Class. As one of the core events of this year's International Imaging Culture Week, the SmallRig Awards Ceremony saw creators and guests from around the world dressed in elegant attire. The international judging panel, headed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ruby Yang, made a full appearance. Out of 3,891 submissions from 120 countries and regions, a distinguished international jury led by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ruby Yang selected the winning works across 22 categories, including 12 Bronze, 5 Silver, and 2 Gold Awards, as well as the Emerging Talent Award, Audience Choice Award, and Outstanding Achievements Award. Zhou Yang, the founder and CEO of SmallRig, Leqi Innovation, shared the inspiration behind establishing the SmallRig Awards. "This award belongs to all those who believe in the transformative power of visual storytelling and strive to make a difference through their work. We aim to foster ongoing creativity, communication, and sharing of social impact stories through visual media." The SmallRig Image Development Fund will also be launched to promote the creation of meaningful content, facilitate exchange, and connect creators with impactful initiatives. Additionally, Xi Zhinong, a globally renowned wildlife photographer, gave a keynote address titled "Presence Is a Photographer's Duty." With four decades of field photography experience, Xi spoke about the critical importance of being on-site to capture the truth of nature. Xi called on photographers to uphold professional integrity and use their craft to preserve nature: "The power of images in nature conservation lies in being present and telling the truth." Following the awards, the event hosted a global roundtable series titled "Dialogues on Social Impact Images." Two themed discussions, "The Power of Storytelling in Social Impact Images" and "See It, Change It: The Potential of Impact Visuals", included prominent guests such as Ruby Yang, filmmaker Gu Tao, German documentary award-winner Uli Gaulke, as well as scholars, authors, and media leaders from China and abroad. The event also marked the launch of the SmallRig Social Impact Media Alliance, a global initiative uniting prominent media organizations to co-create, distribute, and incubate impactful visual content. Moreover, the Social Impact Image Pitching Sessions have successfully gathered 124 proposals from creators across more than ten countries, such as China, US, Belgium, etc. These submissions feature a rich array of 18 series, 53 short films, and 53 feature films, focusing on different topics such as disability care, ecological protection, and the preservation of intangible cultural heritage, all presented through various formats, including documentaries, animation, and experimental films. To recognize excellence, the sessions awarded prizes to the top 10 works, while the esteemed Chinese independent film streaming platform CathayPlay has introduced the CathayPlay International Communication Honor at the event. About SmallRig Founded in 2013, SmallRig designs and builds complete accessory solutions including camera and phone rigs, battery, tripod and video light for content creation. SmallRig's accessories are widely used in live broadcasting, vlogging, professional video production, and other fields supported by over two million creators worldwide. SmallRig pioneered the User Co-Design (UCD) approach and the DreamRig program, with the ultimate goal of co-designing alongside global creators to help turn their dreams into reality.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Broadcasters pull out all stops in Election Day coverage
Broadcasters vie for viewership, with high-profile panels, dynamic visuals, proprietary voting prediction South Korea's major broadcasters went all-out for their live coverage of the June 3 presidential election, delivering eight-hours of marathon programming, each with a distinct editorial style. National broadcaster KBS opted for a documentarylike, serious tone, while SBS took a more energetic approach, incorporating upbeat music such as 10cm's 'To Reach You' and prominently featuring its teddy bear mascot, Toopyoro. Meanwhile, MBC stuck to a relatively traditional, news-driven format, delivering the results with a straightforward, businesslike tone. After leading the viewership rating during April's general election, MBC returned this year with an impressive setup for "Election 2025." The network unveiled its six-panel display, the largest LED screen ever used in Korean election broadcasting for displaying election results. Ceiling-mounted wire cameras provided sweeping shots of the studio for dynamic footage. The 'Debate M' segment featured a lineup of prominent figures including author Yoo Si-min, former Korea Economic Daily editor-in-chief Chung Kyoo-jae, Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Park Joo-min and People Power Party Rep. Cho Kyung-tae. SBS has stood out in past elections with its eye-popping graphics that heavily reference popular culture. This year, it offered a 'Squid Game'-inspired segment in its election coverage program, "2025 People's Vote." SBS also debuted Korea's first extended reality live talk show as part of its election coverage. Titled 'Sseoltongryeong,' the segment turned the studio into a fully rendered 3D environment, transporting talk show guests to digitally recreated locations such as the National Assembly and the presidential office. Guests on the talk show included younger voices such as YouTuber Oh Chang-seok, host of YouTube political satire-comedy channel "President Namcheon-dong"; Park Sung-min, a former youth secretary at the Blue House; and Park Min-young, a People Power Party spokesperson. KBS turned to generative AI for its coverage titled "Vote That Changes My Life." Images depicting cities that were hotbeds of democratization movements and industrial landmarks served as a backdrop to the broadcast announcing the election results, with the network also operating from a dedicated studio for panel talks at the 'K-Cube,' located in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. KBS' analysis segment assembled a diverse panel of politicians and political pundits including Democratic Party members Lee So-young and Kim Sang-wook, the People Power Party's Kim Jae-seop, the New Reform Party's Chun Ha-ram and former JoongAng Ilbo editorial writer Kim Jin. The broadcasters also highlighted their proprietary vote prediction systems. MBC utilized its own system that integrated exit polls, historical data and live vote counts to forecast results, while SBS deployed 'Yoo-Hwak-Dang,' combining early exit polling with ongoing vote updates to calculate winning probabilities. Meanwhile, KBS used 'Decision K+,' a system that tracked candidate performance in real-time and categorized their chances of victory as 'likely,' 'certain' or 'elected.'
