▲ Visitors browse books at the Seoul International Book Fair in COEX, Seoul, held onJune 20, 2025. (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, June 12 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul International Book Fair 2026 has once again come under public attention ahead of its opening, with tens of thousands of readers scrambling to secure tickets and a growing number of publishers launching their own alternative events.

 

The five-day fair will run from June 24 to 28 at COEX in Seoul’s Gangnam district. Organizers say competition for admission has become so fierce that some visitors have compared the process to buying tickets for major K-pop concerts.

 

Daily batches of discounted early-bird tickets, which went on sale last Monday, have sold out rapidly. At peak times, nearly 30,000 people queued online simultaneously, according to organizers.

 

Last year, the event faced criticism after all tickets were sold during the early-bird stage, leaving none available on-site. This year, the organizer, the Korean Publishers Association, divided sales into early-bird, regular and same-day admissions. A five-day pass package priced at 66,000 won has already sold out.

 

The association said the venue’s capacity limits total attendance to around 150,000 people. To ease congestion, it plans to expand into both Halls A and B at COEX beginning next year.

 

This year’s fair will feature more than 530 publishers and related organizations from 18 countries.

 

The soaring popularity of the event has also highlighted frustrations within the publishing industry. Some publishers were unable to secure booths, while others have questioned the transparency of the selection process.

 

In response, several independent book fairs will be held across Seoul during the same period.

 

The “Seoul Proper Book Fair,” organized by a group calling for greater public accountability in the international book fair, will take place from June 25 to 28 at Nodeul Island in Yongsan. Around 50 publishers and bookstores are expected to participate, with free admission and programs including author signings and lectures.

 

Another alternative event, the “Seoul Self Book Fair,” will run from June 24 to 27 around the Euljiro district. The fair aims to provide a space for publishers who either could not join or chose not to participate in the main event.

 

Several publishers are also organizing standalone fairs. Independent publisher Balcony will host the “One-Pyeong Book Fair” in Seoul’s Gangnam district after failing to secure a place at the main exhibition, while Turtle Neck Press plans to hold a small-scale “Turtle Neck Book Fair” in Mapo District from June 19 to 21.

 

As interest in books and publishing continues to grow, what was once a single annual gathering has evolved into a citywide celebration of reading, with multiple events offering readers new ways to connect with authors, publishers and independent literary communities.

 

 

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]