'Reading Month' September... Nationwide Book Reading Festival

Ministry of Culture's Nationwide Book Reading Festival... 10,000 Events
"Explore a Great World with Books..."

In celebration of September as the "Month of Reading," a nationwide book reading festival will take place across the country. On the 2nd, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that it will conduct over 10,000 events with 2,684 institutions, organizations, and companies to rediscover the value of reading and promote book culture.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon said, "I hope all citizens unfold their own great worlds with books," adding, "We will further expand reading culture comprehensively through increased budgets, thoughtful planning, and cooperation."

Libraries, local governments, and education offices nationwide will attract people who have drifted away from books by highlighting regional characteristics. In addition to group reading, lectures, exhibitions, and book markets, outdoor libraries (Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungnam), book therapy concerts (Busan), book BTI personality tests (Gwangju), and the book festival Moonlight Picnic (Jeonbuk) will be operated.

At 150 public and small libraries and 50 local bookstores, reading culture programs such as "Small Library Book Friends" and "Value Bookstore" will be introduced. Especially, the National Library of Korea will hold lectures and author signing events under the theme "Meeting Monthly Humanities," the National Library for Children and Young Adults will run the "Please Read Books" campaign and the Miggumso Festival, and the National Sejong Library will conduct a special lecture titled "Children Growing Up Reading and Writing."

Fourteen private companies including publishers and bookstores will also join the events both online and offline. Kyobo Book Centre offers the "Book Reading Preview Group," where readers can gift books they have previewed. Gimmyoungsa and Changbi host lectures, book talks, and signing events featuring various authors. Millie's Library and Yes24 create a reading atmosphere with an online book-based quiz and "Autumn Book Picnic," respectively.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In Pohang City, selected as this year’s "Book City of Korea," the "Korea Reading Festival" will be held. From the 27th to the 29th, at the Yeongildae Haesangnugak area, lectures, book talks, exhibitions, performances, and experiential events will be held under the theme "Meeting Books by the East Sea."

At the opening ceremony, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will award the "Reading Culture Award" to individuals and organizations who have contributed to the promotion of reading culture. The Presidential Citation will be awarded to the Korea Mothers’ Association Central Committee, which has contributed to the promotion of women’s reading culture and self-realization through the national women’s book report contest. The Prime Minister’s Citation will go to Yoo Eun-kyung, team leader of the Incheon Bupyeong Cultural Foundation, who contributed to the spread of reading culture promotion, and Choi Ji-hye, director of Baramsup Picture Book Library, who established Korea’s first picture book specialized library.