Seoul: The Seoul International Book Fair, South Korea's largest literary event, opened its doors with a grand ceremony featuring over 530 publishers, writers, and book-related organizations from 17 countries. This year's event is themed "A Pillar of Support," inviting attendees to discover their own sources of strength amidst the current challenging times, as highlighted by the organizers.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the recent Nobel Prize in literature win by author Han Kang has significantly boosted public interest in this year's fair, resulting in all tickets being sold out. The organizers are expecting approximately 150,000 visitors, with participation from about 430 Korean publishers and nearly 100 overseas publishers.

Yoon Chul-ho, president of the Korean Publishers Association, addressed the attendees at the opening ceremony, emphasizing the importance of books in enriching lives by stating, "Books are our soul, future and nourishment that enriches our lives." He expressed hope that the fair would serve as a platform for sharing perspectives and cultures among visitors.

Taiwan has been chosen as the guest of honor for this year's fair, with over 30 Taiwanese authors, including noted novelists, picture book writers, and comic creators, in attendance. Alongside them, 26 publishers and cultural institutions from Taiwan are participating in the event.

Renowned director Park Chan-wook, known for his work on "Decision to Leave," will engage in a talk session with literary critic Shin Hyung-chul on Friday, highlighting the director's penchant for drawing inspiration from novels. Other notable authors, such as "Cloud Bread" writer Baek Hee-na and novelists Kim Ae-ran, Yoon Sung-hui, and Sohn Won-pyung, are also set to interact with audiences.

The "Book Talk" sessions will feature dialogues with authors like Kim Ju-hea, the Tolstoy Literary Award recipient, and novelist Kim Geum-hee. Actor Park Jeong-min, also the CEO of the publishing house that released Kim Geum-hee's book, along with authors Kim Cho-yeop, Chung Bora, Cheon Seon-ran, and Han Yu-joo, will also partake in these sessions.

Former President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to visit the fair on both Wednesday and Thursday. He is set to deliver a congratulatory speech at the "Best Book in Korea Awards Ceremony" on Wednesday at 5 p.m.