Seoul Real Book Fair launches as alternative to Seoul Int'l Book Fair

The Korea Times

Seoul Real Book Fair launches as alternative to Seoul Int'l Book Fair

As Seoul’s popular “text hip” culture fuels record demand for book fairs, a group of independent publishers is launching an alternative event to challenge Korea’s largest literary festival scheduled for later this month. Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF) is slated for June 24 through 28 at Coex in southern Seoul, while Seoul Real Book Fair will take place at Nodeul Lounge on Nodeul Island in Seoul from June 25 to 28. The alternative fair was born from mounting frustration among small and midsized publishers who have been unable to secure booths at SIBF despite the event’s surging popularity. “In recent years, SIBF has effectively become the name of a company with a handful of major shareholders, instead of a public festival cultivated by Korean readers and publishers for the past 50 years,” the organizing committee wrote on Instagram, criticizing SIBF for what they described as “privatization." The committee argues that the marginalization of independent publishers began in 2024 with the establishment of Seoul International Book Fair Inc. The event also dropped conside

Go to News Site

Google Play

App Store