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Korea Herald
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Seoul International Book Fair opens to record crowds, famous faces
Actor Park Jeong-min, chef Choi Kang-rok and former President Moon Jae-in bring star power to largest book event On the opening morning of the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair, the exhibition hall at Coex in Gangnam-gu was already packed with eager visitors. By the time the doors officially opened at 10 a.m. Wednesday, a seemingly endless queue had formed, snaking around the venue — a scene that spoke volumes about the fair's popularity. Tickets for the event, which runs through Sunday, were already sold out before opening day via online reservations. No on-site ticket sales are available, with exceptions made only for preschoolers, individuals with disabilities, national merit recipients and seniors aged 65 and over, who are granted free admission. Although the Korean Publishers Association, the event organizer, declined to disclose the exact number of tickets issued, 2024's fair drew 150,000 attendees over five days. The majority of attendees were in their 20s and 30s. One visitor in her 30s, surnamed Jeon, said she had taken a day off work to attend, adding, 'Last year, it was so crowded I couldn't properly browse. I came prepared to really 'shop' this time.' An avid collector of bookmarks, Jeon noted that she was also on the lookout for books with exclusive covers and goods sold only during the fair. 'This is my third year at the book fair,' she said. 'But today feels like the most crowded yet. It seems to grow every year.' Major publishers such as Moonji Publishing, Changbi Publishers, EunHaengNaMu Publishing and Munhakdongne Publishing set up large booths that drew long lines, some even wrapping entirely around the spaces. At the same time, several small independent houses quietly captured attention, drawing steady crowds from the early morning hours, many drawn by popular figures such as actor Park Jeong-min and former President Moon Jae-in, who brought star power to these intimate booths. Park, now head of his independent publishing house Muze, personally handed out copies of his latest release, "Fierce Independence" — a limited edition numbered 1 to 500 — to customers at the event. Fans had lined up as early as 8 a.m., including a fan in her 30s, surnamed Kim, who was hoping to snag one of the single-digit copies. She also planned to attend a book talk on Saturday featuring Park and author Kim Geum-hee, who published "My First Summer, Wanju." Elsewhere, chef Choi Kang-rok from Netflix's hit cooking competition show "Culinary Class Wars" drew long lines for his debut essay's signing event in the morning. Another anticipated appearance came mid-afternoon, when former President Moon appeared at the Pyeongsan Books' booth, where he serves as 'book manager.' Crowds gathered well in advance, and cheers erupted as Moon arrived around 2:30 p.m. He later participated as an award presenter and speaker at the Best Book of Korea ceremony held at 5 p.m. Finding refuge, celebrating partnerships This year's fair is themed 'The Last Resort' — a nod to the role books play as a refuge in uncertain times. The 2025 SIBF features more than 530 participating publishers and literary organizations, 100 of which are from 16 countries overseas. 'Books are the soul of our humanity, our future and the nourishment that elevates our lives. The fair should be a space to share each other's tastes and cultures," said KPA President Yoon Chul-ho during his welcome speech. Taiwan, this year's Guest of Honor, is showcasing a special pavilion under the concept of 'Taiwan Sensibility.' Rex How, chair of Taiwan's Taipei Book Fair Foundation, introduced himself in Korean during the opening ceremony, noting that he was born in Busan. 'Taiwan as Guest of Honor at the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair carries special significance,' said How. 'This year marks the 20th anniversary of Korea's first participation in the Taipei International Book Fair in 2005, and next year will be the 20th anniversary of the Sister & Friendship Cities partnership between Seoul and Taipei. It's a meaningful opportunity to not only celebrate the past two decades but also strengthen our friendship for the next 20 years.' Taiwan has invited 23 authors and scheduled 62 events throughout the week. In particular, International Booker Award-nominated author Wu Ming-yi held a talk session in the afternoon. Controversy over 'privatization' of SIBF Despite the opening day excitement, the fair also faced protests from a coalition of nine organizations, including the Korea Publishers Society and the Writers Association of Korea. At a press conference held outside Coex, the group raised concerns over what they described as the 'privatization' of the Seoul International Book Fair. The alliance accused KPA President Yoon of transforming the fair into a for-profit corporation that prioritizes shareholder interests over public benefit. They claimed that Yoon and a select group of insiders now hold 70 percent of the shares, dominating the event's decision-making. They emphasized that the Seoul International Book Fair has long been a public cultural asset, grown through the participation of numerous publishers and readers, with government support. The coalition demanded the dissolution of the current corporate structure and the establishment of a public committee to restore the fair's civic mission. This year's fair is co-hosted by the KPA and the newly established Seoul International Book Fair Corporation. Following a breakdown in government funding last year, the KPA converted the fair into a corporation to sustain operations. The KPA announced in May that the corporation is a nonprofit subsidiary dedicated to managing the fair, pledging no dividend payouts and full reinvestment of profits. It is currently under review by a Ministry of Employment and Labor-affiliated agency for recognition as a social enterprise. hwangdh@
Korea Herald
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Han Kang's latest 'Light and Thread' brings meditative reflections on life while tending small garden
The latest books by Han Kang, last year's Nobel Prize in literature winner, will be released today, her first publication since winning the prize. "Light and Thread" is a collection of meditative essays with five poems that takes its name from her Nobel lecture, delivered Dec. 7 at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm. The lecture starts the slim volume. The 172-page collection was available for preorder starting Wednesday and will be released in bookstores beginning Thursday, according to Moonji Publishing. "Light and Thread" brings together 12 pieces, including five poems and several essays, accompanied by photos taken by Han. The book is released as part of the publisher's essay series "Ecrire" (to write in French), which curates the prose of literary writers noted for their distinctive styles. The prose and poetry collection was discussed with the author during the early planning stages of the series in 2019, according to the publisher, with the theme and concept taking final shape by December 2024. "We hope this will be a precious opportunity to meet writer(s), whom readers have only read through their polished literary works, in a more intimate and personal ways," the book's editor said to The Korea Herald. 3 pieces from Nobel Prize ceremony Three of the pieces in the collection are related to the Nobel Prize ceremony: the full text of her Nobel lecture at the Swedish Academy, her banquet speech titled "In the Darkest Night" delivered Dec. 10 and a short message she wrote when donating a teacup to the Nobel Museum, titled "Small Teacup." Regarding the teacup, Han wrote that the teacup was part of her daily routine while she was writing "We Do Not Part." She described her work routine: After getting up at 5:30 a.m. and going for a walk, she would drink a cup of tea. She drank black tea although the cup was designed for drinking green tea. "We Do Not Part" follows two women as they navigate intergenerational trauma and shared mourning for relatives lost to state violence, in the shadow of a massacre that took place on South Korea's Jeju Island in the late 1940s. It took seven years to complete the book. 'As the teacup is so small, I didn't need to take in too much caffeine. It was like very warm medicine for me, which helped me to write on,' said Han. One of the essays, "After Publication," was written in 2022, shortly after the release of "We Do Not Part." It was previously released in "The Essential: Han Kang," a special edition curated by Munhakdongne Publishing that brings together highlights from the author's key works. 5 poems after her first poetry collection It is now well known that before Han made her prose debut in 1995 with the short story collection "Love of Yeosu," she began her literary career in 1993 by publishing several poems in the literary magazine "Literature and Society." The latest collection includes five poems that originally appeared in "Literature and Society" and "Littor" between 2013 and 2024, following the publication of her first and only poetry collection, "I Put the Evening in the Drawer" (2013, Moonji Publishing). The five poems are: "The Coat and I," "North-Facing Room," "(Meditation on Pain)," "Sound(s)" and "Very Small Snowflake." 3 unpublished intimate reflections while tending garden Also included are three previously unpublished essays: "North-Facing Garden," "Garden Diary" and "After Living On." "North-Facing Garden" recounts Han's experience tending to a small garden in the first home she ever purchased under her own name -- a house with a four-pyeong (roughly 13 square meters) yard. Here, she writes about the challenge of growing plants without direct sunlight, and how, in her effort to reflect light into the space using a mirror, she began to grasp the Earth's rotation in a new, embodied way. "Garden Diary" follows in a more meditative, intimate format, chronicling her experiences in the garden day by day. The final piece in the book, "After Living On," is a two-page lyrical essay, where every sentence stands on its own line. The photo on the last page of the book features a poem Han wrote at the age of eight, which she referenced during her "Light and Thread" lecture, describing it as 'suitably innocent and unpolished (lines),' penned by her 8-year-old self. Where is love? It is inside my thump-thumping beating chest. What is love? It is the gold thread connecting between our hearts. Meanwhile, Han is also putting the finishing touches on a long-awaited novel -- the final installment in her so-called 'Winter Trilogy.' The new work is expected to be released later this year and will follow the short stories "While a Single Snowflake Melts" and "Farewell." Together, the three stories form an interconnected narrative. Han had been working on the final volume -- a midlength novel -- before her Nobel win.
Korea Herald
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Han Kang to publish first book since Nobel Prize win
New essay collection 'Light and Thread' includes Nobel lecture, poems, intimate reflections South Korean writer Han Kang is set to release her first new book since receiving the Nobel Prize in literature. The essay collection, titled "Light and Thread," will be published later this month, available in bookstores starting April 24, according to publisher Moonji Publishing. The book takes its title from Han's Nobel lecture, which she delivered at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm last Dec. 7. Spanning 172 pages, the collection includes around 10 essays and poems, including this Nobel lecture. An editor at Moonji Publishing described the new release as 'a book that allows readers to enter the author's quiet interior world -- a calm, first-person universe.' Roughly half of the content is being published for the first time, while the remaining texts have previously appeared in literary magazines. Many of the prose pieces take the form of diary-like reflections, written while tending her garden and composing poetry. In addition to essays, the collection features poems, including 'Meditation on Pain' and 'North-facing Room,' both of which were previously published in the Fall 2024 issue of Moonji's quarterly magazine, Literature & Society. "Light and Thread" is expected to be Han's only essay collection currently in circulation. Her previous nonfiction works -- "Quietly Sung Songs" (2007) and "Love and Things Surrounding Love" (2009) -- are both out of print. Meanwhile, Han is also putting the finishing touches on a long-awaited novel -- the final installment in her so-called 'Winter Trilogy.' The new work is expected to be released later this year and will follow the short stories "While a Single Snowflake Melts" and "Farewell." Together, the three stories form an interconnected narrative. Han had been working on the final volume -- a midlength novel -- before her Nobel win.
Korea Herald
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
‘Burning' director Lee Chang-dong's anthology to hit US shelves Tuesday
'Snowy Day and Other Stories' is Lee's first collection available in English Acclaimed South Korean filmmaker and writer Lee Chang-dong, known recently for "Burning" (2018), will for the first time release an English short story collection in the US on Tuesday. "Snowy Day and Other Stories," a compilation of seven stories translated by Yoosup Chang and Heinz Insu Fenkl, is being published by Penguin Books, according to Korean publisher Moonji Publishing. The anthology -- including some of Lee's previous works from "Burning Paper" (1987) and "There's a Lot of S--- in Nokcheon" (1992) -- investigates themes of injustice, betrayal and terror. How individuals and nations perceive them is explored, Penguin Books said. In "Snowy Day," the title story inspired by Lee's own experience in the South Korean military, the class divide between a university-educated private and a working-class corporal serving sentry duty together one snowy night leads to tragic consequences. Lee's career took off in 1983, when he won the Donga Ilbo Literary Award for the novella "War Trophy." He went on to screenwriting and directing acclaimed works such as "Green Fish" (1997), "A Peppermint Candy" (1999), "Oasis" (2002), "Secret Sunshine" (2007) and "Burning." From 2003-2004, he served as South Korea's minister of culture and tourism.
