VOL.74/2024.09

 

Dreaming of a Different Peace as We Depart from Houyhnhnms

 

2024.08.05

 

The 2024 Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF) has concluded with great success. During the peak hours when the crowd surged, I found myself in a state of constant anxiety, hoping that everything would go smoothly. As visitors queued up, stretching so far that the end of the line was out of sight, and the temperature inside rose, making the air conditioning struggle, my heart tightened. Yet, now I breathe a sigh of relief that the event ended without major incidents.

 

 

Challenges in preparing for the 2024 Seoul International Book Fair

 

This year’s preparation for the Seoul International Book Fair was fraught with challenges. Traditionally held in Hall A on the first floor of COEX, we were informed last year to reduce the event’s scale or move it to the third floor. This decision was disheartening for us, who have co-hosted the event at COEX for many years. More than the disappointment, we worried about the inconvenience it might cause our visitors. The first-floor Hall A is easily accessible and directly connected to entrances and the subway, while the third-floor Halls C and D require a long escalator ride. This raised concerns about the effort required to reach the third floor and the potential for accidents in the long lines. The feeling of being pushed to the third floor was particularly distasteful.
We protested against this change, emphasizing the importance of our event. However, COEX’s response was clear: international academic events had priority. We, too, are an international event, but this argument did not sway them. The thought that future events might face similar disruptions added to our unease. On the fair’s opening day, curiosity led me to discover that the event displacing us was the Organization for Human Brain Mapping, supported by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, we faced similar pressure to change our event dates due to an international conference sponsored by the Ministry of Environment. The pandemic led to the cancellation of most events, so the conflict did not escalate. Despite assurances from the president of the COEX that such issues would not recur, I believe these conflicts will persist. If the government truly values books and reading rates, it should consider the scheduling and location of the Seoul International Book Fair. However, this remains our hope, and other interests must also be considered, making it a difficult request.
I discuss the venue at length because there were many reviews suggesting that this year’s smaller venue on the third floor was due to a lack of government support. This interpretation is understandable. The president of the Frankfurt Book Fair asked a similar question during their visit. However, this was not the case. The rental costs and area of the exhibition halls on the first and third floors of COEX are not significantly different. We did not aim to reduce costs and ask readers to endure inconvenience. The rental fees were similar. If government events continue to take precedence over the long-standing Seoul International Book Fair, securing a venue will remain a challenge. For now, we can only trust the COEX president’s promise that next year’s fair will return to the first floor.
Securing a venue was not our only challenge; we also faced the loss of long-standing financial support from the government. Considering the government’s financial difficulties and budget cuts across all sectors, this was an expected measure. However, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism’s decision to withhold allocated funds due to unprecedented audits and investigations was unforeseen.

 

 

The Seoul International Book Fair visited by many readers

 

Despite many concerns, we trusted the love of our readers. While the original support amount was not substantial, it helped support publishers from countries that find it difficult to visit Korea and create special exhibitions for the audience. The sudden full budget cut forced us to scale back these programs and reduce the number of exhibitions. However, when we opened the fair, we found that the number of readers increased significantly, and long-participating publishers were well-prepared to welcome them. While some may have noticed sparse spots due to budget cuts, most readers had no trouble enjoying the fair.
This year’s large attendance at the Seoul International Book Fair was not surprising. Since 2017, when we shifted our focus to a reader-centered event, it has steadily become a gathering place for book lovers. Consistently over 100,000 readers have visited, and this year saw, an increase of about 20,000 from last year. While long wait times for entry on Saturday caused inconvenience, this is an area we can improve. Unfounded claims suggested visitors came for merchandise or photo opportunities rather than books, questioning how so many readers could gather given the declining reading rates. However, with a population of 50 million, the 150,000 visitors represent only 0.3%. Despite declining reading rates, there are far more readers in our country. Korea is the 11th largest publishing nation globally, with about 80,000 kinds of books published annually. There is no reason to doubt that readers who visited the fair came because they love books. We will continue to do our best to ensure that more readers can comfortably and safely enjoy books next year.
Globally, it is rare to find a book fair that annually proposes a new theme and operates exhibitions and seminars around it, as the Seoul International Book Fair does. Last year’s theme was “Non-human,” reflecting on the potentially catastrophic consequences of continuing to run the planet centered around humans. The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism pressured us to change the theme, fearing it might be interpreted as “inhuman.” We compromised by adding “Beyond Human, to Human” to the theme. This interference prompted thoughts of independence from the Ministry, which lacked understanding or expertise in the theme. If we had the courage, we should have declared independence then.

 

 

This year’s theme arose from reflections on irrational situations like war. The ongoing war in Ukraine and the outbreak of war in Palestine led to continued contemplation of the misery derived from war. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, written 300 years ago, came to mind, particularly his journey to the land of the Houyhnhnms. We wanted to share the imagination of the rational beings and their society in the land of the Houyhnhnms with our readers. Our proposed theme received a great response, and many readers and journalists used it as a source for their writings.
Imagining Houyhnhnms also corrected the common perception that Gulliver’s Travels is mainly about Lilliput and Brobdingnag, the lands of tiny and giant people, respectively. In 1909, Choi Nam-seon translated and adapted only these parts, publishing them as a book. We commissioned novelist Kim Yeon-soo to translate Choi Nam-seon’s work for today’s readers, adding translations of Laputa and Houyhnhnms to make a complete book, which also gained great popularity at the fair.

 

 

One of the most significant yet less highlighted events at this year’s fair was the “Best Books in Korea” awards. Since the establishment of the “Best Book Design in Korea” awards five years ago, we have focused on fair judging and thoughtful reviews. We aimed to provide supportive reviews with affection rather than criticism to justify the selection. Last year, we introduced the “Best Book for Children in Korea” award for excellent children’s books and the “Best Book of Pleasure in Korea” award for popular content like web novels and webtoons. This year, we added the “Best Book of Wisdom in Korea” award for significant academic contributions. Ten books are selected in each category, with one book chosen as the grand prize winner.
We organized a separate awards ceremony with the intention of hearing from all forty winners. The grand prize for the “Best Book of Wisdom in Korea” went to Whirling Days: Living with HIV in South Korea (Banbi), a moving account of the author’s fight alongside people affected by AIDS. Personally, I wanted to call it the “Most Courageous Book in Korea.” The host struggled to hold back tears as heartfelt acceptance speeches continued. The grand prize for the “Best Book of Pleasure in Korea” went to The Troublemaker’s Speech (MUNHAKDONGNE). Though recognized for being entertaining, not all selected books were light-hearted. For example, THE WHITE LADY (Barambooks) tells the solemn stories of nurses who accompany patients in their final moments. While the book is enjoyable, how could one not feel a sense of reverence while dealing with someone’s last moments? We will never forget the forty award-winning books, their authors, and everyone who worked hard to create them.

 

* K-Book Trends Vol. 70 - Article on the “Best Book in Korea”

 

 

After the fair, I wrote a thank-you note to the readers who visited:

 

 

 

More than 8,000 readers liked this message on Instagram, and many left encouraging comments. This gives us strength. In the short term, the Seoul International Book Fair must create an advanced copyright trading center to meet the rapidly increasing demand for copyright transactions. In the long term, our goal is to create more stable funding sources to support international exchanges and reader services. Now, the Seoul International Book Fair is leaving behind Houyhnhnms, who dreamt of a rational world, and heading towards a new world. We need your support.

 

 

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Written by Iroo Joo (Director, Seoul International Book Fair)