Latest news with #SeoulInternationalBookFair
Korea Herald
16-07-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Seoul Intl. Book Fair claims end in no charges
Korea Publishers Association cleared in subsidy dispute with Culture Ministry An investigation into the Korean Publishers Association over the Seoul International Book Fair and alleged misuse of government subsidies has been closed with no charges, the KPA said Monday. According to the KPA, the Seoul Jongno Police Station issued a 'no charges filed' decision on July 7 in a case that accused the organization of violating the Subsidy Management Act and criminal statutes, including document forgery and obstruction of business. The case stems from a 2023 complaint filed by the Culture Ministry under then-Minister Park Bo-gyoon, who questioned whether the KPA had concealed revenues from the SIBF and failed to report profits, despite receiving annual government subsidies of up to 1 billion won ($725,000) for the event. The ministry accused the KPA of forming a 'cartel' with the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), a state-affiliated body overseeing publishing subsidies. It claimed the organizers had redacted or withheld financial details — including fees from overseas participants — and referred the case to police for further investigation in August 2023. Following the complaint, the Culture Ministry slashed 3 billion won in subsidies earmarked for the book fair and international participation projects and barred the KPA from applying for new state-funded initiatives. Starting in 2024, government support for the fair was rerouted through KPIPA to assist individual exhibitors, bypassing the association. However, according to the official police notification, authorities found no evidence that the association had concealed earnings or misused subsidies. Police concluded that financial arrangements for the book fair, including how revenues and expenses were reported, had been pre-negotiated among the Culture Ministry, KPIPA and the KPA. 'There was no misuse of subsidies for purposes outside their original scope,' the KPA said in a statement, citing the outcome of the investigation. 'The findings clearly show that there was no wrongdoing in our management of either the public subsidies or the fair's revenues.' The KPA criticized the ministry's actions as overreach and expressed hope that the newly appointed culture minister under the Lee Jae Myung government would bring renewed support and stability to publishing policy.
![(book top) [Off the Pages] Why these novels? Park Chan-wook's literary anchors](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F26%2Fnews-p.v1.20250625.bda4ad650e6f4a2cab1fb00200fcce61_T1.jpeg&w=3840&q=100)
Korea Herald
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
(book top) [Off the Pages] Why these novels? Park Chan-wook's literary anchors
Celebrated filmmaker Park Chan-wook is widely known to be an avid reader. Many of his acclaimed films were adapted from novels, making his appearance at last week's Seoul International Book Fair all the more fitting. Park shared his 'literary anchors,' offering personal anecdotes and insights into the books that have inspired him. The following are some of the highlights from his talk. 'Joint Security Area' (2000) In a 2023 reissue of Park Sang-yeon's novel "DMZ," Park Chan-wook wrote, 'I don't even want to imagine what my life would look like if I hadn't encountered this novel.' "Joint Security Area" was his first literary adaptation and the breakout hit that changed everything. After two earlier films flopped, "JSA" was a box-office sensation, drawing over 5.8 million viewers and setting a record for Korean cinema. 'I've made many films since then,' Park reflected, 'but none have matched its box-office success. 'JSA' gave me the courage to make more daring films afterward.' Set in Korea's uniquely tense and symbolic space of the Demilitarized Zone, the crime mystery follows a fatal shooting involving North and South Korean soldiers, investigated by the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission. The investigation gradually unravels an unexpected truth. Park credited the novel's humanizing portrayal of North Koreans. 'At the time, it was still shocking to show them not as villains, but as ordinary people,' he said. Among the changes he made, Park said he is particularly proud to gender-swap the investigator into a woman, which he described as "an additional layer." 'The investigation already confronts an ideological wall. By introducing a female officer who faces barrier from the male soldiers she questions, I was able to add another layer. That's an aspect I take great pride in,' he said 'Oldboy' (2003) A man is kidnapped without knowing who took him, or why. He is locked away with no explanation, and the worst part is, he doesn't know if, or when, he'll ever get out. This premise of "Oldboy," the noir thriller that won Park a Grand Prix at Cannes, is loosely based on a Japanese manga. 'To me, it felt like a perfect metaphor for life itself,' Park said. 'We don't know why we were born, how our future will unfold, or when we'll die. We know death is inevitable, but not when or how. We have to live with that uncertainty.' The film follows Oh Dae-su, imprisoned in a small hotel room for 15 years with no idea who his captor is, or why is kept imprisoned. When he's abruptly released, he sets on a brutal quest for revenge. Another element Park found especially compelling was Oh's only contact with the outside world was watching television. 'I found that idea fascinating. He starts off as a reckless, pitiful man — more so than in the original manga. Locked away, watching only TV, he has nothing but time to think," he said. "Over the years, that leads to painful self-reflection. Whether he wants it or not, he becomes more mature — just by watching TV." For "Thirst," another Cannes-winning film, Park drew inspiration from Emile Zola's "Therese Raquin," a novel about a young woman coerced by her overbearing aunt into a loveless marriage. Initially, there were separate plans to adapt the novel and to make a vampire film but the two ideas eventually merged, after co-producer Ahn Soo-hyun read Park's vampire synopsis and Zola's novel, spotting a thematic bridge. 'There are vivid descriptions focused on the neck in the book,' Park noted. 'The neck biting and the wounds worsening over time — the imagery is quite intense.' The original synopsis, just three or four pages long, had a priest as the protagonist and a detailed climactic blood-drinking scene. Park felt that as long as that scene remained, the story and characters could be adapted freely around it. 'If I ever had the ability to be a novelist, I think I would have written exactly like Zola," said Park. 'He has a merciless view of humanity. He's uncompromising and honest. There's no romanticizing, no intention to vilify. It's simply an observation. Because of that honesty, whether making films or anything else, I feel there's much to learn from him.' Literary critic Shin Hyoung-cheol described Park's approach to adaptation through metaphor thus: "Oldboy" replaced the spine of its source; "Thirst" gave it wings. And "The Handmaiden"? 'It's as if he gave it a new pair of legs — like in the scene where the two women run across the open field.' Adapted from Sarah Waters's "Fingersmith," a historical crime novel set in Victorian-era Britain, "The Handmaiden" transposes the setting to colonial-era Korea under Japanese rule. The story follows a young Korean woman hired as a maid to a Japanese heiress. In the original novel, each woman deceives the other, and only in the third part do they discover the full extent of the betrayal. Park's version reimagines this dynamic: The women build trust, form an alliance and ultimately turn the tables to take revenge on the 'Gentleman.' 'As I read the book, I found myself hoping it would turn out that way,' Park said. 'They meet under false pretenses, but what if they open up to each other, become allies, and pull off a clever scheme to punish the count and escape together. Such anticipation became the basis for my adaptation,' Park said. 'The Little Drummer Girl' (2019) Park has often named British espionage master John le Carre as his favorite novelist. He read "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" as a teenager and he considers himself part of a rare minority of fans who 'dare say 'The Little Drummer Girl' is his best." Park reached out to le Carre directly, and the two met in person to discuss adapting the novel into a six-part television series — an "unforgettable memory" for Park. Le Carre made a cameo in the show, appearing as a waiter in the cafe where Charlie walks in. In fact, le Carre was fond of making cameo appearances in screen adaptations of his novels. Set in 1979, "The Little Drummer Girl" follows Charlie, a young English actress recruited to infiltrate a Palestinian group plotting a terrorist attack in Europe. But it was the novel's ending — particularly the protagonist's motivations — that troubled Park. 'Although I call it a masterpiece, I was disappointed at that moment,' he said. 'She risks her life as a spy because she 'fell in love' with one of the male agents, after pretending to be in love as part of her cover. I thought it made Charlie almost foolish,' Park said. Park knew he needed a new line — a moment that would redefine her choices. He learned that the character of Charlie had been inspired by a real person — le Carre's own sister, a theater actress active in the 1970s. Park said the line 'I'm an actress' came directly from a conversation with her. 'That line carries so much,' Park said. 'We had long discussions about it. Even during table reads, it was my favorite. We shot that scene with all of its weight in mind. I'd rather leave its meaning open to interpretation,' Park said. 'No Other Choice' (2025) and Park's reading list Park is currently in post-production on his upcoming film "No Other Choice," starring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin. Set for release in October, the film is adapted from Donald E. Westlake's horror thriller "The Ax." It follows Man-soo, who, after being laid off from a job, begins a desperate and dark hunt for new employment. Park has hinted that the film will veer into black comedy. Before the talk came to an end, the director offered a list of book recommendations. His recent favorites included Geoff Dyer's "The Ongoing Moment," a meditation on photography, and "But Beautiful," a philosophical exploration of beauty in jazz. Of Vladimir Nabokov's works, Park singled out "Pnin" as a personal favorite: 'It's filled with absurd humor, and the protagonist might come off as unlikeable at first -- but he becomes utterly lovable.' Park also expressed his recent admiration for W.G. Sebald, after reading "Austerlitz."
Korea Herald
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Park Chan-wook wants to film 'Human Acts' by Nobel laureate Han Kang if given the chance
Filmmaker Park Chan-wook would like to adapt 'Human Acts' by Nobel laureate Han Kang into a film if given the chance. 'Just reading the first chapter, I thought, 'Wow, this is just masterfully written.' It struck me as a masterpiece from the start,' he said. The comment came during a session titled 'Park Chan-wook's Literary Anchors' with literary critic Shin Hyoung-cheol, held Friday at the Seoul International Book Fair at Coex. When asked whether there are any Korean novels he dreams of adapting, Park responded that the idea remains a distant hope -- 'just one of those thoughts that simply make you happy to imagine.' Alongside 'Human Acts,' he mentioned Park Kyong-ni's 20-volume epic 'Toji (Land),' Lee Mun-ku's interconnected short story collection 'Gwanchon Essays,' Shin Kyung-sook's 'The Lone Room' and Kim Hoon's 'The Song of the Sword.' Park is widely known as a voracious reader, and many of his films have their roots in literature. His breakout hit 'Joint Security Area' (2000) was based on a novel by Park Sang-yeon, while 'The Handmaiden' reimagined Sarah Waters' 'Fingersmith' in colonial-era Korea. His hardboiled classic 'Oldboy' drew inspiration from a Japanese manga of the same name. Park likened working with literary source material to 'a trip planned with a detailed itinerary.' 'Having a source novel does give me a certain sense of security,' he said. 'But just like with travel, things rarely go exactly as planned. Even when you begin adapting a novel, you often end up somewhere completely different from where you first imagined.' He recalled that 'Decision to Leave,' which earned him the best director award at Cannes, originally began as an attempt to adapt the final chapter of the last volume in the 10-part Swedish Martin Beck detective series -- but ultimately evolved into an entirely different story. Park explained that what anchors a film in its source novel varies with each project. 'Sometimes it's a character that strikes me; other times it's the narrative itself. It's hard to capture in just one word.' Or sometimes it's just a simple description. For instance, in Emile Zola's 'Therese Raquin,' the novel that inspired his film 'Thirst,' he underlined this sentence: The Arcade of the Pont Neuf is not a place for a stroll. You take it to make a short cut, to gain a few minutes. Park is currently in post-production on his upcoming film 'No Other Choice' starring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin. Set for release during the Chuseok holiday in October, the black comedy is also adapted from Donald E. Westlake's horror thriller novel 'The Ax.' The five-day Seoul International Book Fair reportedly drew around 150,000 visitors, based on the same number of tickets offered as last year. The Korean Publishers Association, which organized the event, declined to disclose the exact number of tickets issued. All tickets were sold out in advance through online reservations.
Korea Herald
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Seoul International Book Fair opens to record crowds, famous faces
Actor Park Jeong-min, chef Choi Kang-rok and former President Moon Jae-in bring star power to largest book event On the opening morning of the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair, the exhibition hall at Coex in Gangnam-gu was already packed with eager visitors. By the time the doors officially opened at 10 a.m. Wednesday, a seemingly endless queue had formed, snaking around the venue — a scene that spoke volumes about the fair's popularity. Tickets for the event, which runs through Sunday, were already sold out before opening day via online reservations. No on-site ticket sales are available, with exceptions made only for preschoolers, individuals with disabilities, national merit recipients and seniors aged 65 and over, who are granted free admission. Although the Korean Publishers Association, the event organizer, declined to disclose the exact number of tickets issued, 2024's fair drew 150,000 attendees over five days. The majority of attendees were in their 20s and 30s. One visitor in her 30s, surnamed Jeon, said she had taken a day off work to attend, adding, 'Last year, it was so crowded I couldn't properly browse. I came prepared to really 'shop' this time.' An avid collector of bookmarks, Jeon noted that she was also on the lookout for books with exclusive covers and goods sold only during the fair. 'This is my third year at the book fair,' she said. 'But today feels like the most crowded yet. It seems to grow every year.' Major publishers such as Moonji Publishing, Changbi Publishers, EunHaengNaMu Publishing and Munhakdongne Publishing set up large booths that drew long lines, some even wrapping entirely around the spaces. At the same time, several small independent houses quietly captured attention, drawing steady crowds from the early morning hours, many drawn by popular figures such as actor Park Jeong-min and former President Moon Jae-in, who brought star power to these intimate booths. Park, now head of his independent publishing house Muze, personally handed out copies of his latest release, "Fierce Independence" — a limited edition numbered 1 to 500 — to customers at the event. Fans had lined up as early as 8 a.m., including a fan in her 30s, surnamed Kim, who was hoping to snag one of the single-digit copies. She also planned to attend a book talk on Saturday featuring Park and author Kim Geum-hee, who published "My First Summer, Wanju." Elsewhere, chef Choi Kang-rok from Netflix's hit cooking competition show "Culinary Class Wars" drew long lines for his debut essay's signing event in the morning. Another anticipated appearance came mid-afternoon, when former President Moon appeared at the Pyeongsan Books' booth, where he serves as 'book manager.' Crowds gathered well in advance, and cheers erupted as Moon arrived around 2:30 p.m. He later participated as an award presenter and speaker at the Best Book of Korea ceremony held at 5 p.m. Finding refuge, celebrating partnerships This year's fair is themed 'The Last Resort' — a nod to the role books play as a refuge in uncertain times. The 2025 SIBF features more than 530 participating publishers and literary organizations, 100 of which are from 16 countries overseas. 'Books are the soul of our humanity, our future and the nourishment that elevates our lives. The fair should be a space to share each other's tastes and cultures," said KPA President Yoon Chul-ho during his welcome speech. Taiwan, this year's Guest of Honor, is showcasing a special pavilion under the concept of 'Taiwan Sensibility.' Rex How, chair of Taiwan's Taipei Book Fair Foundation, introduced himself in Korean during the opening ceremony, noting that he was born in Busan. 'Taiwan as Guest of Honor at the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair carries special significance,' said How. 'This year marks the 20th anniversary of Korea's first participation in the Taipei International Book Fair in 2005, and next year will be the 20th anniversary of the Sister & Friendship Cities partnership between Seoul and Taipei. It's a meaningful opportunity to not only celebrate the past two decades but also strengthen our friendship for the next 20 years.' Taiwan has invited 23 authors and scheduled 62 events throughout the week. In particular, International Booker Award-nominated author Wu Ming-yi held a talk session in the afternoon. Controversy over 'privatization' of SIBF Despite the opening day excitement, the fair also faced protests from a coalition of nine organizations, including the Korea Publishers Society and the Writers Association of Korea. At a press conference held outside Coex, the group raised concerns over what they described as the 'privatization' of the Seoul International Book Fair. The alliance accused KPA President Yoon of transforming the fair into a for-profit corporation that prioritizes shareholder interests over public benefit. They claimed that Yoon and a select group of insiders now hold 70 percent of the shares, dominating the event's decision-making. They emphasized that the Seoul International Book Fair has long been a public cultural asset, grown through the participation of numerous publishers and readers, with government support. The coalition demanded the dissolution of the current corporate structure and the establishment of a public committee to restore the fair's civic mission. This year's fair is co-hosted by the KPA and the newly established Seoul International Book Fair Corporation. Following a breakdown in government funding last year, the KPA converted the fair into a corporation to sustain operations. The KPA announced in May that the corporation is a nonprofit subsidiary dedicated to managing the fair, pledging no dividend payouts and full reinvestment of profits. It is currently under review by a Ministry of Employment and Labor-affiliated agency for recognition as a social enterprise. hwangdh@
Korea Herald
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Seoul International Book Fair presses on without state funding
SIBF to kick off in June under 'Last Resort' theme The Korean Publishers Association, which remains at odds with the Culture Ministry over government subsidies for the Seoul International Book Fair, will once again hold the event without direct government funding this year. "Just like last year, this year's book fair will not receive any (direct) support from the Culture Ministry," said KPA President Yoon Chul-ho during a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday. "We will run the book fair with donations from our publisher members, as well as membership and booth fees from the participating members." Last year marked the first time since the book fair's inception in 1954 that the KPA organized the event without direct government funding. The ministry withheld approximately 670 million won ($465,000) that had been allocated to the fair's organizer and instead redirected the funds to individual participating publishers. Yoon said that this year, even that support has been further slashed to around 200 million won ($139,000). The standoff between the KPA and the Culture Ministry is expected to continue until the ongoing police investigation into the book fair's subsidy management reaches a conclusion. The dispute dates back to August 2023, when the ministry requested an investigation into Yoon and KPA, alleging failure to turn over detailed accounting for the Seoul International Book Fair. In response, the KPA filed a complaint against four Culture Ministry officials for defamation. KPA said it had submitted all the necessary information 'required for disclosure' at the ministry's request and received an official confirmation from the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), a public institution under the ministry that oversees the distribution and use of government subsidies to the fair organizer. Despite these tensions, the 2025 Seoul International Book Fair will take place as scheduled from June 18 to 22 at Coex in Seoul. This year's theme, "The Last Resort," invites visitors to discover their own sources of solace in an increasingly difficult world. Taiwan has been selected as the "guest of honor." Established in 1947, the KPA is the largest publishers' organization in the country, boasting over 4,000 member publishing companies.
