The Seoul International Book Fair 2012, the largest event of its kind in Korea, took place at COEX from June 20 to 24. With 2012 designated as Korea’s National Year of Reading, the expectations and enthusiasm surrounding the event only grew during its four-day run.

The National Year of Reading, a social campaign organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was launched to promote a cultural environment that encourages regular reading among the public. With the recognition that the knowledge and creativity of a citizen are the core values behind national competitiveness, the ministry announced 2012 as the National Year of Reading in early April and has since organized a wide variety of book-related events and programs.

The major summer event was last week’s Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF). First held as a single-exhibit event in 1954, the book fair has undergone changes over the years but continues to maintain clear aims, including the globalization of Korean publications, the reinforcement of domestic competitiveness, and the development of a nationwide culture of reading. This year’s 18th SIBF brought together 580 publishing companies from 20 nations to introduce a wide array of genres and topics, including human sciences, sociology, literature, and art.

The 18th Seoul International Book Fair held from June 20 to 24 contributed to creating a cultural environment that encourages reading among the public.

In light of this year’s National Year of Reading campaign, this month’s fair was organized to be the largest in the history of the event. Nineteen of Korea’s most renowned authors participated in discussion events with audiences, sharing with their readers their writing styles and unique creative visions. It was also attended by Lee O-young, a celebrated author and former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The authors spoke on a variety of subjects, including literature, history, classics, and philosophy.

Choi Jae-cheon a professor at Ehwa Womans University, also met with readers and lectured on the importance of discovering the unfamiliar through reading.

“Increased life expectancy will make necessary the ability to understand and incorporate knowledge in numerous fields,” said Choi. “Reading is an ideal practice for cultivating this kind of skill.”

This year’s book fair introduced the Book Mentor program, bringing together professionals such as authors, editors, and book designers to offer advice and share their experience with those aspiring to get started in the industry. Mentees received practical tips and insights into the publishing process.

As an international book fair, the event was attended by publishing companies from countries such as France, Germany, the United States, and China. Saudi Arabia was this year’s organizing country, marking the first time that a Middle Eastern country has hosted the event, following China in 2008, Japan in 2009, and France in 2010. This year’s fair included a display on Arabic culture that showcased more than 2,000 books on topics such as religion, academia, language, history, and culture. Books translated into other languages, including Korean, were also available for interested visitors.

Visitors to the Saudi Arabia booth took part in cultural activities and programs to learn about local customs.

Another area of the exhibition was devoted to cultural activities and interactive programs. Visitors could recline and relax in a tent that evoked the Bedouin desert lifestyle or watch videos about Arabic culture in a space modeled to resemble the city of Mecca. The line in front of one booth, where visitors could try writing their names in Arabic, stretched to the entrance of the exhibition area.

A seminar was held on the topics of literary exchange and accessibility between Saudi Arabia and Korea, with participants including Saudia Arabia’s vice-minister of education, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, and the director of the Saudi Arabian Cultural Center in Korea.

Other exhibits at the fair looked at the works of previous winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature as well as the transformation of Hangeul throughout history. Entitled “In Search of the Lost Hangeul Typefaces,” the latter exhibit examined the factors that influenced the development of Hangeul typefaces after the creation of the Hunminjeongeum writing system and presented models of the various, lesser-known typeface models that were used until recently.

The special exhibit for Nobel Prize winners offered a glimpse into the lives of world famous authors.

The exhibit on Nobel Prize winners, sponsored by the Nobel Foundation, gave visitors a glimpse into the lives of ten authors, including Ernest Hemingway, Herman Hesse, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Rabindranath Tagore. Handwritten manuscripts, photographs, and other personal items were also displayed.

For professionals in the domestic and international publishing industries, networking events and seminars were also a key part of the fair. In light of this year’s National Year of Reading initiative, representatives from governments, non-profit organizations, libraries, schools, publishing companies, and various media outlets were invited to take part in a forum to discuss strategies for fostering a culture of active and regular reading.

In light of the 2012 National Year of Reading campaign, this year’s fair was the largest in the history of the event, attracting the largest number of visitors.

Additional seminars focused on new business models in the publishing industry and strategies for the digital era. Ahead of the upcoming Beijing International Book Fair, to be held in August 2012, a seminar was held on the current state of publications in China.

More information on the Seoul International Book Fair can be found at http://www.sibf.or.kr/en 


By Lee Seung-ah
Korea.net Staff Writer
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