'City of Books' Gimpo-si Takes Full-Scale Steps to Spread Reading Culture

Gimpo City Operates Library Week Until the 18th Ahead of the Korea Reading Festival
About 64 Reading Culture Programs at Six Gimpo Libraries
Book Culture Promotion Events to Follow, Including the Opening of Modam Library

Gimpo City, the host of the 2025 Korea Reading Festival, is operating Library Week until the 18th to commemorate Library Day on the 12th and to promote reading culture. During this week, a total of about 64 reading culture programs and experiential activities, including exhibitions, lectures, performances, and hands-on programs, will be held at six public libraries in Gimpo City (Janggi, Tongjin, Yanggok, Gochon, Pungmu, Masan).

Gimpo City will operate Library Week from the 12th to the 18th to commemorate Library Day on the 12th and promote reading culture. The photo shows children in Gimpo enjoying books. Photo by Gimpo City

According to Gimpo City on the 13th, Gimpo, which will play a leading role in spreading book culture, aims to naturally embed books and libraries into citizens' daily lives through this event. The city is determined to actively promote the spread of book culture by holding various events even after the Library Week operation.

Scheduled events include the World Book Day event on the 23rd, the reopening ceremony of Daegot Small Library on the 25th, monthly Refreshing Lectures by notable figures (lecturers Lee Hoseon, Ko Myunghwan, Kim Youngcheol, Kim Heon) from May to August, the Gimpo City Library Book Festival (Modam Library) coinciding with the opening ceremony of Modam Library on May 10th, Book Evening at Taesan Family Park on June 6th, and the main Reading Festival event from September 19th to 21st.

At Janggi Library, on the 12th, children who borrowed books participated in the 'Sprout Face Painting' program, and on the 13th, a 'Making Library Cards with Resin Art' program was held together with the Youth Operating Committee.

Also, from the 12th to the 13th, a two-day 'Extended Reality Play with Librarians' was conducted, providing a unique reading experience.

Author invitation lectures are also being held.

On the 16th, author Lee Youngmi, who wrote "Witch Fitness," will visit Janggi Library to communicate with young readers with the theme "If You Have Built Witch Fitness, Now Prepare for Old Age," and on the 19th, author Hong Minjeong of "Cat Troubleshooter Kkamnyang" will also visit to interact with children. Exhibitions and experiential programs will also be conducted.

Mayor Kim Byung-su is accelerating efforts to create a reading-friendly environment. Provided by Gimpo City

At Tongjin Library, on the 12th, a 'Terrarium Making with My Own Hands' experience was held for 3rd and 4th-grade elementary students, and from the 17th, the 'Shining My Life: An Essay to Find Myself' program will begin. On the same day, a 'Secret Agent Leonard's Science X-Files Exciting Science Play' program will be operated for lower-grade elementary students. From the 24th, a 'Smart Me, Am I in Danger?' program for lower-grade elementary students will be held, and from the 23rd, a specialized program 'Stories of the Garden in the Library' will be operated for 10 families. This provides opportunities to experience nature and ecology within the library, along with various exhibitions and experiential programs.

At Yanggok Library, starting from the 16th, a 'My Life Like Cherry Blossoms' program for seniors will be operated, including walking at Gimpo Jangneung and forest meditation with cultural tourism interpreters, along with reading discussions. Additionally, exhibition programs such as 'Absolutely Protect! Book Damage Prevention' and experiential activities like 'Writing and Sharing Book Reviews & Transcriptions' directly at the library will be conducted.

At Gochon Library, on the 12th, a lecture titled 'Exploring Human Limits through SF' was held for Gimpo citizens. On the 19th, a lecture on 'Memo Reading Method That Changes Life' will be held, and on the 12th and 19th, a 'Zero Waste Soap Making' experience program will be operated for 15 elementary students. Various exhibitions and special programs such as 'Reading Level Diagnosis Day' using English, a specialty material of Gochon Library, will also be provided.

At Pungmu Library, on the 13th, the five-senses satisfying musical 'The Cat Trapped in the Book' was held; on the 16th, a meeting with author Han Rakyeong for lower-grade elementary students titled 'A Warm Space Caring for the Heart, Insect Hotel'; on the evening of the 16th, a moonlit humanities lecture 'How to Write a Movie Essay'; and on the 18th, a meeting with author Kim Seonmi for upper-grade elementary students titled 'Biscuit Adventure' will be operated.

Kim Byung-su, Mayor of Gimpo (third from the left), is cutting the ribbon at the opening ceremony of Gimpo City's first comic library held on November 21 last year. Photo by Gimpo City

At Masan Library, since the 12th, the program 'Is Your Literacy Okay?' has been ongoing. On the 16th, a 'Masan Proud Moral Class' for lower-grade elementary students will be held. From the 16th, the 'Now It's Time to Treat Science' program will be operated, along with various exhibitions and experiential programs.

On April 23rd, designated as World Book Day, Gimpo City will take steps to expand public official reading culture.

On this day, Mayor Kim Byungsoo plans to hold an event presenting books to public officials to encourage participation in reading activities. Each library will give roses to the first 50 book borrowers on April 23rd. UNESCO commemorates World Book Day in honor of Spain's Saint George's Day, where roses are given to book buyers to promote reading and publishing.

Reading infrastructure will also be continuously expanded.

Gimpo City plans to relocate Daegot Small Library, which was operated within Daegot Elementary School, to the 3rd floor of Daegot Cultural Welfare Center and reopen it on April 25, 2025. Additionally, Gimpo City's representative library, Modam Library, will be constructed with a total floor area of 8,682㎡, including one basement floor and three above-ground floors, and will open as a culture and arts specialized library on May 10, 2025.

Library Week Poster. Provided by Gimpo City

A Gimpo City official said, "Since Gimpo City was selected as the host of the Reading Culture Festival this year, Library Day and Library Week have been prepared more abundantly." He added, "Gimpo City will continue to lead as a book culture city by guaranteeing equal reading opportunities for all citizens and operating differentiated reading programs unique to Gimpo."

Meanwhile, Gimpo City was selected as the host of the Korea Reading Festival last August after a close competition with other cities. The Korea Reading Festival, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is the nation's largest reading culture festival held annually by selecting local governments that lead reading culture promotion. Gimpo City is holding diverse and differentiated events throughout the year, including performances, exhibitions, experiences, and academic discussions, aiming to convert non-readers into readers by creating a book-friendly environment.