Save on Annual Book Costs of 24 Volumes and Revive Local Bookstores Facing Closure Crisis

Seocho-gu's Reading Revolution: The 'Book Payback' Service
Buy, Read, and Return Books Within Three Weeks for a Full Refund
Mainly for New Releases... Over 51,800 Books Circulated in Seven Years

Gu Jeong-ok, who has been running Seocho Bookstore in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul for 37 years, is greatly benefiting from Seocho-gu’s ‘Book Payback’ service. Although local neighborhood bookstores have been struggling due to online bookstores, the Book Payback service has enabled them to secure steady sales.

Seocho-gu has designated the area around the National Library of Korea as the "Seocho Book Street" and is hosting various reading culture events. Provided by Seocho-gu.

The Seocho-gu Book Payback is a service where customers can buy books from local bookstores and return them within three weeks to get a refund of the purchase price. It was first launched in Seocho-gu nationwide and has been operating for seven years this year. This innovative system allows local bookstores to be used like libraries and even received a patent in 2020.

Residents can buy and read the books they need without any cost burden, and local bookstores can sell books, making it a win-win situation. It also positively impacts the revitalization of neighborhood commercial areas. Books returned by residents after reading are purchased by Seocho-gu public libraries. Since libraries regularly need to buy new books anyway, this helps stimulate the local economy, and both residents and bookstores benefit from it.

So far, 51,821 books have circulated through the Book Payback service. Last year, 7,154 books passed through the hands of residents and flowed into libraries from nine local bookstores affiliated with the Seocho-gu Bookstore Association. The total amount was 110 million KRW. Through this service, each bookstore sold an average of 795 books annually last year, generating sales of 12.22 million KRW.

Seocho-gu started the Book Payback service in June 2019. The system was introduced as an idea to foster a reading culture and also to help save neighborhood bookstores facing extinction. Just in time, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out the following year, reducing outdoor activities and gatherings, which helped the service quickly take root.

Each resident can apply to purchase up to three books per month and 24 books per year. Considering that the annual reading volume of Korean adults is 3.9 books (as of 2023, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), this is about six times that amount. Even if you are not a Seocho-gu resident, you can use the Book Payback service as long as you are a full member of a Seocho-gu public library (excluding Book Link members).

There is one essential procedure to get a refund on the book price. First, you must apply on the Seocho-gu public library website by selecting a book available for purchase and one of the local bookstores partnered with Seocho-gu. Once approval is confirmed, you visit the selected local bookstore to buy the book. To return the book, you must bring it back to the bookstore where you purchased it within three weeks along with the receipt. Refunds are not available if supplements are missing or if the book is damaged or marked.

Lee Seung-min, a resident of Bangbae-dong, said, "I mainly use the service for new releases. It’s useful because I can choose from a variety of books without any burden." Jeon Seong-su, the head of Seocho-gu Office, said, "Thanks to the Book Payback service, which started nationwide for the first time, Seocho-gu has become a city with one of the highest levels of reading culture in the country. We will promote the service further with a goal of 8,500 books this year."

Meanwhile, Seocho-gu is promoting a project to develop the area from Banpo Hangang Park to the Seoul Arts Center as a ‘Cultural Belt’ and has designated the area around the National Library of Korea in Seocho-dong as a ‘Book Street’ (from Nue Bridge to the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital intersection), holding various reading culture events every spring and fall.

Seocho-gu, Seoul has been operating the 'Book Payback' service for seven years. Seocho-gu has developed the area around the National Library of Korea into the 'Seocho Book Street' and holds a reading culture festival every May, June, September, and October. Provided by Seocho-gu.