Seoul Int'l Book Fair set to open amid 'text-hip' boom

The Seoul International Book Fair, South Korea's largest literary event, opens Wednesday with 538 publishers from 18 nations and 326 authors, expecting 150,000 visitors amid a 'text-hip' trend. The 68th edition, themed 'Homo Duduri,' explores humanity's role in the age of AI, with advance tickets already sold out.

The Seoul International Book Fair, the country's largest literary event, is set to open Wednesday, with about 150,000 visitors expected as the "text-hip" trend -- with reading now stylish among younger generations -- continues. Some 538 publishers and industry organizations from 18 nations will take part in the 68th edition, which runs through Sunday at the COEX exhibition center in southern Seoul. A total of 326 authors and speakers from South Korea and abroad will also take part in the five-day event, with advance tickets already sold out. Under the theme "Homo Duduri," this year's book fair seeks to navigate what it means to be human in the age of artificial intelligence AI , according to the organizers. Duduri, an ancient name for a blacksmith, is the archetype of a "dokkaebi," or goblin, that appears in old Korean texts. "Today, the fire of AI blazes before us. No matter the question, AI answers without hesitation. It writes novels, composes songs and directs films in an instant. There is no way to avoid this fire. What kind of wisdom, then, do we need in the face of these fierce fl