Visitors browse books at the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair held at Coex in June. (Seoul International Book Fair) The 2026 Seoul International Book Fair, Korea’s largest book festival, will take place from June 24-28 at Coex in Seoul’s Gangnam-gu, according to the Korean Publishers Association.The fair will bring together about 530 publishers, literary organizations and copyright agencies from 18 countries, including South Korea. About 180 publishers and organizations from 17 countries, including France, Germany and the United States, will operate booths in the international exhibition hall.This year's theme is "Homo Duduri.""Duduri" is a mythical figure from ancient Korean texts, regarded as a prototype of the dokkaebi, or goblin, and also an old Korean word for blacksmith.Organizers said the theme reflects humanity's role in continuing to ask questions in the age of artificial intelligence rather than settling for AI-generated answers."Here lies the fundamental difference between humans and AI. AI closes the door of possibility with the most probable answer," said the Korean Publishers Association in a statement. "Humans reopen that door with a greater question. ... And books are the records of those great questions."France will be this year's guest of honor as South Korea and France mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The French program will carry the theme "Reading France."Twelve French authors and 23 French publishers and institutions will participate, including novelist Bernard Werber, children's author Marie-Aude Murail, picture-book artist Anne Laval and philosopher Pascal Bruckner.Prominent South Korean authors will meet readers through lectures and talks during the fair, including novelists Eun Hee-kyung, Kim Ae-ran, Baik Sou-linne and Bora Chung, whose sessions will explore the present and future of humanity in the age of artificial intelligence.Other participants include picture-book artist Lee Suzy and novelists Hwang Bo-reum, Chung Se-rang, Park Sang-young and Jang Ryu-jin.Korean American novelist Silvia Park, author of "Luminous," will appear in conversation with sci-fi writer Kim Cho-yeop, author of "If We Cannot Move at the Speed of Light," while Korean American novelist R. O. Kwon, author of "The Incendiaries," will have a conversation with novelist Pyun Hye-young.The fair will also bring together prominent figures from a wide range of fields, including neuroscientist Jang Dong-seon, singer-songwriter Sunwoo Jung-a, actor Kim Shin-rock, film music director Dalpalan, who worked on the hit film "The King's Warden," webtoon artist Lee Jong-beom, creator of "Dr. Frost," and temple cuisine master the Ven. Sunjae, who appeared in "Culinary Class Wars" Season 2.More information will be available at the Seoul International Book Fair website.Early-bird tickets will be available from June 8-12, regular tickets from June 13-23, and on-site tickets during the fair from June 24-28.