Korea kicks off 10-day literature festival with global writer lineup
A promotional poster for the 2026 Korea Literature Festival / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will hold the 2026 Korea Literature Festival, aimed at spreading literature's value for social connection and emotional healing, from Friday to Sept. 20.
The event, in partnership with the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, Arts Council Korea, the Korea Publishing Culture Industry Promotion Agency, the National Museum of Korean Literature and the International PEN Korea Center, will be held in Seoul's Daehangno district and other venues nationwide.
Now in its second year, the festival also aims to to build a literary ecosystem linking writers, readers and local communities. Actress Go Ah-sung is serving as the festival's honorary ambassador.
The Seoul International Writers' Festival, one of several events under the festival's umbrella, opens Friday at Ara Art Center in Insa-dong with a conversation between Korean novelist Kim Ae-ran, known for the novel "My Brilliant Life," and Chilean author Benjamin Labatut, a finalist for the 2021 International Booker Prize. Ten additional writers from eight countries, including South African Booker Prize winner Damon Galgut and Japanese novelist Keiichiro Hirano, will join Korean authors for discussions built around this year's theme, "Who Are You?"
Literature Week, running under the theme "Sidelong Glances," opens Sept. 16 at Arko Arts Theater with a reading performance hosted by Go, honoring the late poet Heo Su-kyung. The program includes 48 literary events featuring 167 writers and artists, including novelists Kim Ae-ran and Choi Jin-young, centered on Daehangno's Marronnier Park.
The World Hangeul Writers Conference opens Sept. 15 at Sejong University, with Korean American novelist Juhea Kim, winner of Russia's Yasnaya Polyana Award, delivering a keynote alongside novelist Kim Jin-myung. On Sept. 19, novelist Kim Cho-yeop and others will discuss the future of Korean science fiction at the House of Artists in Daehangno.
"Through this festival, we hope to share the joy of literature and foster communication across generations and regions through literature," a culture ministry official said.
"The ministry will support writers' creative activities and the overseas expansion of more works so that our literature, as the foundation of K-culture, can gain even more international attention," the official added.
Full schedules are available at k-munhakfestival.com, with advance registration required for individual programs.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.