The 19th Seoul International Book Fair kicked off on Wednesday with President Park Geun-hye attending the opening ceremony in a bid to promote reading books on humanities. 

“I have always relied on wisdom from the teachings of the sages found in these classics,” said Park in her congratulatory speech at the opening. She also mentioned how the books have “helped her endure hard times in the past.”

Park stopped by one of the 771 booths from 25 countries and bought five different humanities-related books, two of which were Korean classics -- “Dabseonghowon” by Lee Yi, and a complete version of another centuries-old book, “Gyebang Ilgi,” which was translated into modern Korean. She also purchased two French works of fiction and a philosophy book written by a Korean writer. 

Her emphasis on reading humanities books is in line with her pursuit of achieving a creative economy. According to Park, “love and care towards the people in need of help” stems from the knowledge of humans which in turn “becomes the grounding for a creative economy.”

“Even if the government improves welfare by creating more jobs, it’s a matter of the people’s set of values that keeps them working. Therefore, providing opportunities to nurture their understanding of others is crucial for the nation to advance,” she added.

The book fair is scheduled to run through Sunday at COEX Convention Center.

Jin Eun-soo, Intern reporter
(janna924@heraldcorp.com)