Buenos Aires International Book Fair Eyes Korea as 2028 Guest of Honour

Buenos Aires International Book Fair plans to invite Korea as its 2028 guest country of honour, highlighting the growing popularity of Korean literature in Spanish-speaking markets.
on Jul 02, 2026

Director Seeks to Showcase Korean Literature and Culture at Argentine Book Fair

The Buenos Aires International Book Fair, which is one of the biggest events of books in the Spanish speaking world, plans to invite Korea as their guest country of honor in 2028.

According to Ezequiel Martinez, who is the Director General of the book fair, this is his main purpose behind visiting Seoul. He stated that Peru will be the guest country in 2026 and Spain in 2027.

Martinez visited Korea under the K-Fellowship program, which was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange organized the program.

Latin American Cultural Event Venue

Established in 1975, the Buenos Aires International Book Fair is seen as the biggest cultural event in Latin America that attracts over one million people annually. This year, the fair celebrates its 50th birthday and introduces the guest countries in addition to its traditional guest city format.

The proposed guest country format will not be limited to the book fair. It will develop a larger cultural event that would feature literature, arts, cuisine and other creative industries of the chosen country through collaborations with major cultural venues.

Martinez said a guest country programme for Korea can involve such cultural venues as the National Museum of Fine Arts, Teatro Colón and Libertad Palace.

Growing Readership of Korean Literature in Spanish

The proposal is based on the growing readership of Korean literature in Spanish-speaking markets. Korean novelist Han Kang has been especially influential in generating this growing readership interest in her work.

The translation of Han Kang’s The Vegetarian into Spanish was released in 2012 in Argentina through an independent publisher called Bajo la Luna based in Buenos Aires. It is worth noting that this translation preceded the release of translations of the novel in English, French, Italian and German.

Since Han Kang won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, there has been more interest in her work. According to Martinez, her books became bestsellers again at this year’s Buenos Aires International Book Fair.

Korean Novels Released by Publishers in Spanish Language

Independent publishers have also been working to establish Korean literature in the region. The independent press Hwarang was established in 2019 and has already issued more than 30 books by Korean writers such as Park Min-gyu, Hwang Sok-yong and Yi Sang.

The Argentine publisher Fiordo has released Kim Hye-jin’s book titled About My Daughter. Other large publishing houses such as Random House and Grupo Planeta are also releasing Korean authors to Spanish language readers.

Martinez mentioned that there has been an increase in the number of individuals interested in learning Korean. He emphasized the requirement of translators to translate novels from Korean language to Spanish without the intervention of any other language.

Korean Writers and Novel Trends

During his visit, Martinez came across several Korean writers and had discussions regarding the schedule of the fair with Korean writer Kim Ho-yeon whose novel "The Second Chance Convenience Store" was displayed at this year's Buenos Aires Fair. Writer Chung Bora has been officially invited to the upcoming Buenos Aires Fair of Books as well.

He has also sought counsel from writers such as Kim Yeonsu, Son Won-pyung and Kim Hye-jin on future writer invitations.

According to Martinez, themes like healing stories, original fantasy, and current social issues have gained much popularity in Korean literary works. He mentioned that literature related to current social matters like "About My Daughter" is internationally relevant since its themes are universal and not confined to Korea alone.

He also appreciated the book "Cursed Bunny", which is a collection of short stories by Chung Bora.

Korea Could Create Stronger Buzz in Argentina

Martinez believes Korea’s participation as guest country of honour could generate significant interest among Argentine readers, who are already showing curiosity about Korean culture and literature.

If the proposal moves forward, the 2028 edition of the Buenos Aires International Book Fair could become an important platform for Korean publishers, authors, translators and cultural institutions to connect with readers across Latin America.