Bucheon International Comics Festival opens in South Korea

The 29th Bucheon International Comics Festival (BICOF) opened on September 18 and will run through September 20 at the Korea Manhwa Museum area. Under the theme ‘Manman (Easy and Full)’, the event aims to make comics and webtoons accessible to everyone while showcasing the depth of the industry.

This year’s festival expands beyond traditional exhibitions to include a large-scale content industry event. It features the 10th Gyeonggi International Cosplay Festival (GICOF), involving 15 teams from 14 countries, the 30th anniversary of the International Cartoonists Convention (ICC), and the Gyeonggi International Webtoon Fair, which has moved to Bucheon to foster synergy between culture and business.

Exhibitions include a special showcase on the martial arts genre titled ‘Murim’ and a collection of award-winning works such as ‘The Greatest Estate Developer’. International exchange is also a key focus, featuring a special exhibition celebrating the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations and networking events for international cartoonists.