The core theme of this book fair, ‘Human Declaration Homo Duduri’, defines the essential human attribute that we must not lose amid the rapid development of technology as ‘beings who constantly ask questions.’ It contains the philosophical message that the way to protect human dignity is to constantly knock on doors and raise questions toward unknown areas, rather than being satisfied with the refined answers provided by artificial intelligence. As proof of this, the site welcomes visitors with over 400 tightly organized programs, from seminars exploring human existence in the AI ​​era to lectures by experts in various fields such as literature, art, and science. In particular, Korea's top writers such as Eun Hee-kyung and Kim Ae-ran, as well as intellectuals from various fields such as brain scientist Jang Dong-seon and behavioral ecologist Choi Jae-cheon, participate, making it a channel for interacting directly with the public and quenching their intellectual thirst.

In order to strengthen the event, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Publishing Culture Industry Promotion Agency added their strength by fully supporting the program operation and promotional activities of 131 publishers. The intention is to revitalize the publishing ecosystem and provide readers with a richer experience by supporting book talks with authors, signing events, and unique promotional plans beyond simple booth rental. In this way, promoting the qualitative growth of book fairs through cooperation between the public and private sectors is also a process of reaffirming that the publishing industry is a core driving force that produces cultural value beyond simple product sales. In fact, visitors are enjoying a sense of cultural satisfaction that they have never felt before, such as examining the plans for independent publications that are difficult to find in bookstores, communicating directly with publisher officials, and experiencing the vivid process of book creation.

Behind the spectacular box office success, there are also bitter conflicts and structural concerns within the publishing industry. The inability to accommodate all publishers wishing to participate due to the problem of space shortage, which recurs every year, has led to controversy over the transparency of the book fair's selection process and raised critical views of it as ‘privatization.’ This conflict eventually led to a division in which the ‘Publishers’ Association Calling for the Restoration of the Publicness of the Seoul International Book Fair’ held an alternative event, the ‘Seoul Proper Book Fair’, on Nodeul Island. This is a clear example of the growing pains that Korea's largest book festival experiences between the public sector and commercial operations, and suggests that the challenges of establishing a transparent operating system and securing publicness must be resolved in order for the book fair to remain a sustainable festival in the future.

The French Pavilion, selected as the guest of honor this year, exhibits over 12,000 books and presents the depth of world literature and gourmet culture to Korean readers. The sight of world-renowned authors such as Bernard Werber visiting Korea and communicating with readers proves that the Seoul International Book Fair is leaping forward beyond Asia to become a center of global publishing exchange. In addition, business attempts are being made actively to go beyond simple book exhibitions and expand intellectual property rights (IP) to overseas copyright export consulting or performance content. This means that the medium of books is acting as a platform that goes beyond the boundaries of paper and expands into various cultural industries such as movies and musicals, and is expected to be an important turning point for our publishing industry to secure competitiveness in the global market.