[Harumanbo Harucheonja] A Glimpse of Domestic 'Writing' Culture... Enthusiasm Across All Ages and Genders

'Seoul Spring Pen Show' Returns After 4 Years
"Participants Increased by About 20% Compared to Previous Years"

From Octogenarians Writing Daily Diaries with Fountain Pens
To 2030s Captivated by Classic Charm
An Event Showcasing Diverse Writing Cultures

"Fountain pens have a unique, pleasant charm that’s different from typing on a keyboard. Nowadays, there are many affordable fountain pens, so it’s no longer an expensive hobby."

On the afternoon of the 22nd, the auditorium on the 3rd floor of the Jung-gu Cultural Center in Seoul was filled with 60 booths, and every gap between them was crowded with people. On this day, the 'Seoul Spring Pen Show' was held for the first time in four years. Since its inception in 2010, the event has been held twice a year, once in spring and once in autumn, but it was not held for two years from 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed last year but took place in June, making it a 'Summer Pen Show' rather than a spring event. The fountain pen club internet cafe 'Penhood,' which organized the event, plans to continue this momentum with an autumn pen show in November.

According to the organizers, a total of about 620 people visited the venue that day. Park Jong-jin, director of the Fountain Pen Research Institute and one of Korea’s top fountain pen enthusiasts who runs Penhood, said, "Before COVID-19, about 400 to 500 people usually attended the spring pen show, so the number of participants increased by about 20%," adding, "It feels like the blood is flowing again." He also said, "Although the pen show was held again last year, this time people could freely take off their masks, making the atmosphere much livelier. One of the advantages of the pen show is international exchange, and while hardly any foreigners came last year, this time visitors came from overseas, including France, Hong Kong, and Japan."

Participants with a deep affection for fountain pens were easy to find. Kim Yong-hwan (82), who has a collection of over 1,000 fountain pens, said, "When I was a child after the Korean War, fountain pens from U.S. military bases were actually the easiest writing instruments to get," adding, "I wanted to try various pens, so I collected them until I reached about 1,000." For Kim, fountain pens are lifelong companions. He said, "I have recorded historical moments like the April 19 Revolution and various experiences in diaries using fountain pens," and added, "My dream is to organize the history I have written with fountain pens."

Notably, although fountain pen events are often considered hobbies for older people, there were many participants in their 20s and 30s, as well as families with children. It was common to see young people weaving through children who, curious and excited, held pens themselves while following their fountain pen enthusiast parents. Yoo Jae-ho (36), who has been using fountain pens for over 10 years, emphasized that fountain pens are special. Yoo said, "Fountain pens have a unique, pleasant charm that’s different from typing on a keyboard," adding, "Because of their classic appeal, they also make you feel like you’re enhancing your own value." He added, "Many people think fountain pens are 'expensive' or 'difficult,' but recently, there are many affordable fountain pens that anyone can access."

The pen show is not just a place for pens, as the name suggests. While fountain pens are at the center, various writing instruments such as pencils, mechanical pencils, and clutch pencils, as well as notebooks, inks, pouches, and other collections related to writing culture were exhibited and sold. Lectures on humanities topics and handwriting were also held to promote the culture.

Director Park said, "The focus is not just on writing, copying, or collecting, but on using good writing instruments," adding, "The pen show aims to be an educational space where people can learn about and use pens properly, beyond just sales and exhibitions, and it gathers those who want to preserve the disappearing art of handwriting." Park, who offers free fountain pen repairs every weekend at the Euljiro Fountain Pen Research Institute, also set up a booth to provide free repairs. Even Park, the event organizer, could hardly visit the booths properly that day as people from all over the country lined up for repairs, clearly showing the passionate fandom for pens that had been thirsty during the COVID-19 period.