In the AI Era, Building the Ability to Think for Oneself... ‘2026 Humanities and Culture Festival’ Opens

[Financial News] A humanities and culture festival aimed at helping people develop the ability to think and make judgments for themselves will take place in an era when artificial intelligence (AI) provides answers. Through a discussion with former professional Go player Lee Sedol, poetry and music performances, exhibitions and tours, the festival will explore what it means to be human.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) said on the 6th that it and the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service (KACES) would hold the ‘2026 Humanities and Culture Festival’ from the 6th through the 8th at Layer Studio 11 in Mapo District, Seoul.
This year’s theme is ‘humanities intelligence,’ meaning the ability to reflect on oneself, understand others and choose a direction in life. The program is organized around three subthemes addressing thought and judgment, senses and experience, and understanding and empathy, respectively.
At 2 p.m. on opening day, Lee Sedol and producer Choi Seong-un will discuss the theme ‘A Move AI Cannot Make.’ A policy forum to draw up the ‘Third Basic Plan for Humanities’ will follow, where they will hear views from people in the field.
The Basic Plan for Promoting Humanities and Culture is a five-year plan established under relevant legislation. The second plan covers 2022–2026, with this year as its final year. MCST’s proposed government budget for the humanities for next year amounts to 25.9 billion won, up 11.9%.
On the 7th, author Kim Gyeo-ul, film director Kim Cho-hee and content creator Lee Chung-nyeong will discuss ‘My Own Pace Without Comparing Myself to Others.’ Webtoon artist Lee Jong-beom, astronomer Chae-Kyung Sim, and editor and literary critic Park Hye-jin will reflect on the meaning of work and life.
On the 8th, singer Nucksal, content creator Im Seung-won and content planner Yu Gyuseon will talk about people, relationships and records.
The evening program ‘Night of Humanities’ will also be held. On the 6th, poet Hwang In-chan and singer Yang Hee-eun will present ‘Poetry Set to Song,’ while participants in humanities projects share the results of their work. On the 7th, singer sunwoojunga and architect Jo Byung-soo will discuss what it means to think in the AI era, drawing on their creative experiences, in ‘Time for Reflection,’ jointly organized with the Korean Educational Broadcasting System (EBS).
The exhibition will present field records from initiatives such as ‘Humanities on the Road’ and ‘School of Wisdom,’ as well as humanities activities in 10 regions across the country. It will also feature an interactive exhibition where visitors can encounter 100 questions explored by young people, and a program inviting participants to add their own experiences to other people’s memoirs. Tours exploring the alleys of Sangsu-dong, Gyeongui Line Forest Park and Hongdae’s indie culture will also be offered.
In November, 10 local bookstores across the country will host themed book recommendations and conversations with authors. Novelist Han Yujoo will meet readers at Bookshop Yeonhui in Mapo District, Seoul, while neuroscientist Jaeseung Jeong will do so at Ssiot Bookshop in Paju-si, Gyeonggi Province. Humanities and culture policy projects, including the ‘Youth Humanities Classroom,’ will also continue at 193 locations nationwide throughout November.
Detailed schedules are available on the Humanities 360 website. ‘Humanities Talks,’ ‘Night of Humanities’ and ‘Humanities Tours’ require advance reservations, while ‘Night of Humanities’ also admits visitors on a first-come, first-served basis at the venue.

[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter