South Korea's largest annual international book fair kicked off Wednesday at COEX in southern Seoul.

The 16th Seoul International Book Fair, (SIBF) which opened under the theme of "The Book Reads the Future," is operating a special corner this year to evaluate the present standing and future of e-books.

There are a total of 750 booths that exhibit books from some 590 publishing houses from 21 nations.

France has been chosen as this year's guest of honor, taking part in the fair with special sessions with big-name novelists, including Bernard Werber, Marc Levy and Martin Page. Korean writers, including Eun Hui-gyeong, Park Min-gyu, and Seong Seok-je, will also meet their fans during the fair.

The event runs through Sunday.

Established in 1954 as a local event, the SIBF has grown into an international event that promotes Korean literature to overseas publishing houses and critics.