'Year of Books for 4050'... Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to Operate Customized Programs for Middle-aged and Older Adults

Goyang April 'Book Day' Event & September 'Korea Reading Festival'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has designated this year as the '4050 Year of Books.' Through various programs and campaigns, it plans to encourage reading activities among the 4050 generation.

On this day, the Ministry held a launch ceremony at the auditorium of the Korea Publishing Culture Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and declared the '4050 Year of Books.' Key representatives from major organizations related to publishing, bookstores, reading, libraries, and authors attended the event.

[Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

The Ministry plans to revitalize reading activities among the 4050 generation, who have higher book purchasing power than younger generations but lower reading rates. According to the 2021 National Reading Survey conducted by the Ministry, the reading rate of people in their 40s (the percentage who read at least one book per year) was 49.9%, lower than 78.1% for those in their 20s and 68.8% for those in their 30s.

The Ministry will provide programs such as travel, author experiences, and group reading to help middle-aged and older adults find their dreams and tastes and redefine their life standards. Promotional campaigns through both offline and online channels will continue.

In particular, in Goyang Special City, selected as the 'City of Books' through the Ministry's public contest, various events will take place. Starting with the proclamation ceremony of '2023 Republic of Korea City of Books Goyang' at the Saerasae Theater in Goyang Aram Nuri on the 22nd of next month, a commemorative event will be held at Goyang Lake Park on April 23, 'World Book Day.' A book market involving bookstores and publishers nationwide, meetings with authors, and the 'Book Dream' event will gift books to 423 citizens.

In September, the nationwide reading festival 'Republic of Korea Reading Expo' will be held. Specialized reading experience spaces will be created at the Goyang Flower Exhibition Hall in Goyang Special City, and citizen-participatory reading events such as lectures, performances, experiences, and exhibitions will be presented.

Additionally, 'Regional Reading Expos' reflecting local characteristics will be held in places like Jeonju and Wonju. Furthermore, to allow many people to engage in reading culture activities nearby, partial support will be provided for author lectures, book concerts, and reading club expenses at 58 regional bookstores nationwide that serve as local cultural hubs.

For more details, please check the official website.