‘2026 People Live in the World Book Culture Festival’ Runs Through Sept. 6 With More Than 70 Publishers

The second ‘People Live in the World Book Culture Festival’ is underway at Seoul’s Roh Moo-hyun Civic Center, bringing together more than 70 publishers under this year’s theme, ‘People Who Ask Questions.’ The festival opened on Sept. 4 and continues through Sept. 6.

The program includes book talks, lectures and hands-on activities. At the opening ceremony, writer Yoon Tae-young spoke on the theme ‘Citizens Who Ask Questions, a President Who Answers,’ drawing on his recently published biography of Roh Moo-hyun.

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I tried to preserve the president’s voice as faithfully and calmly as possible.

Published to mark what would have been Roh’s 80th birthday, the 928-page biography took 10 years to complete. Yoon based it on more than 160 previously unpublished records held by the Roh Moo-hyun Archives, including oral testimonies, speeches, extensive notes, recordings and memoirs. He also drew on 600 notebooks he kept while documenting Roh’s political career.

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I wanted to add detailed scenes to show President Roh’s thoughts in a more three-dimensional way.

Yoon, who first met Roh in 1988 and later served as a presidential spokesperson, said he tried to preserve the former president’s voice as faithfully and calmly as possible. He said he added detailed scenes to present Roh’s thinking in greater depth. In the book’s prologue, Yoon wrote that he hoped the work would offer “a small consolation to the soul of a politician whose path was marked by twists and turns, but whose direction was always straight.”

Yoon also said the biography would be his final effort to recall Roh through writing. He said he plans to introduce the former president through more popular formats, including film and television drama.

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A small consolation to the soul of a politician whose path was marked by twists and turns, but whose direction was always straight.