[Interview] Ryoo Kyung-gi, Jungnang District Mayor, "Fostering a Habit of Reading from Childhood through 'Reading 1000 Books'"

‘Reading 1000 Books’ is a project for children aged 5 to 7, who are beginning to read before school, aiming to read one book daily for three years to reach 1000 books... Various related events such as creating and distributing age-appropriate recommended book lists, parent reading education lectures, and reading experience programs will be held to share information about reading.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] There is a saying, “Gaegwonyuik (開卷有益)” (Books are beneficial just by opening them). It is said that Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, who loved reading, told a minister concerned about his health, “There is benefit in opening a book. I do not feel any fatigue at all.” This shows the benefits of reading.

Ryu Gyeong-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said this in an interview with Asia Economy, emphasizing that cultivating the habit of reading from a young age is of utmost importance.

Mayor Ryu added, “Bill Gates also said, ‘The habit of reading is more important than a Harvard diploma. If I hadn’t read books diligently as a child, I wouldn’t be who I am today.’ It is no exaggeration to say that human progress has advanced through reading.”

First, Jungnang-gu is launching a full-scale reading campaign. The district is rolling up its sleeves to spread a reading culture by building infrastructure such as libraries, supporting reading clubs, and operating reading discussion programs so that all residents can enjoy the pleasure of reading under the initiative “Making Jungnang a Reading Community.”

In particular, the noteworthy program is “Reading 1000 Books.” “Reading 1000 Books” is a project where children aged 5 to 7, who are entering the stage of being able to read before starting school, read one book every day for three years to reach a total of 1000 books.

The district started the “Reading 1000 Books” project based on the insight that the brain’s temporal lobe, responsible for language and auditory functions, develops intensively between ages 5 and 7, and even a little stimulation during this period makes it easy for children to understand and enjoy reading, thus making reading education highly effective.

The “Reading 1000 Books” project is not only for children. Since the basic direction is to help children get close to books from an early age, discover the joy of reading, and form good reading habits, children can read alone or with their parents.

To provide motivation and a sense of achievement, the district subdivided the goal into five stages: 100 books, 300 books, 500 books, 700 books, and 1000 books, allowing participants to challenge the next stage upon completion.

Along with this, various recommended book lists suitable for the child’s age will be produced and distributed, and various related events such as parent reading education lectures and reading experience education programs will be held to share information about reading.

The district plans to actively promote this project by establishing a network with about 262 institutions, including six public libraries in the area, 18 small libraries, 30 kindergartens, and 230 daycare centers.

Ryu Gyeong-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “If we create a culture of reading from childhood and expand public libraries such as newly built libraries, smart libraries, and small libraries across 10 streets, Jungnang residents will be able to read books anytime and anywhere.” He added, “Currently, about 600 people are participating in the 1000 Books Reading project, and 17 people have already achieved reading 1000 books, showing great response. We will continue to actively promote the project to ensure its success.”

Jungnang-gu is running various book-related programs to create a reading culture, such as “Community Childcare Cooperative,” which operates programs based on books, “One Library One Book Reading” to activate discussion culture, and “Foreign Language Fairy Tales Read by Older Siblings,” a talent donation program by teenagers.

Those who wish to participate in the “Reading 1000 Books” project can inquire at the Jungnang-gu Office Culture and Tourism Division (2094-1833).