Jeonju City has designated four books for its '2026 Book of the Year' program after conducting a survey on citizens' preferences. These selections aim to encompass all generations, featuring titles such as 'Golden Fawn' for children (illustrative), 'Almost There!' for children (text), 'Ren of the Marshland' for young adults, and 'No People Zone' for adults. The chosen works reflect themes of belief in children, the journey over the destination, human solidarity in dystopian settings, and the nuanced relationships and anxieties of modern individuals.

The selection process included recommendations from 739 citizens, resulting in 203 distinct books being shortlisted. After internal deliberations and discussions within the Jeonju Reading Festival planning committee, 12 finalist books (three from each category) were created. A public voting period from April 4 to April 17 drew 5,813 participants, leading to the final decision on the books that would be celebrated and promoted as part of the festival events.

Selected titles will play a central role in the upcoming 9th Jeonju Reading Festival, serving as themes for various reading culture programs including a hundred-day writing challenge, a citizens' contest, author invitation lectures, and a family reading competition. City officials express hopes that these initiatives will foster a reading culture among citizens, emphasizing community engagement and participation throughout related programs.