Songpa Book Museum Wins Both 'Museum of the Year Award' and 'Academic Award' with "Printing, Embracing the Memory of an Era" Catalog

Songpa Book Museum Wins 'Museum · Art Museum of the Year Award' from the Korean Museum Association
Receives 'Special Award' at the National Museum of Korea Association Academic Awards

Songpa Book Museum 'Catalog'

Songpa District (District Mayor Seo Gangseok) announced that the Songpa Book Museum achieved the remarkable feat of consecutively winning the 'Museum · Art Museum of the Year Award' hosted by the Korean Museum Association and the 'Special Award' in the Academic Awards from the National Museum of Korea Association with its special exhibition catalog, "Printing, Embracing the Memory of an Era."

The 'Museum · Art Museum of the Year Award' is the most prestigious domestic award presented by the Korean Museum Association to individuals or institutions that have made significant contributions to the development of museums and art museums. The award is divided into categories for special exhibitions, educational programs, and publications. Songpa Book Museum was selected as Museum of the Year in the publication category and received the 5th 'Museum · Art Museum of the Year Award.'

Additionally, Songpa Book Museum was honored with the 'Special Award' at the 14th Academic Awards of the National Museum of Korea Association.

The award-winning catalog, "Printing, Embracing the Memory of an Era," from Songpa Book Museum, received high praise for its curatorial approach that provides a multidimensional perspective on the history of Korean printing culture from the Goryeo Dynasty to the present, as well as for its visual completeness and academic depth.

The catalog is organized by era and theme, focusing on the development of printing technologies such as woodblock printing, metal type, lead type, and offset printing, and highlights the value and transformation of printing in Korean society and book culture. In particular, the catalog was highly rated for its design, which uses different CMYK colors and paper textures for each section, making the catalog itself an extension of the exhibition.

The Songpa Book Museum's exhibition, "Printing, Embracing the Memory of an Era," demonstrated the museum's capabilities by effectively conveying the historical context of printing culture and delivering a rich exhibition experience.

Furthermore, the exhibition was praised for re-examining the history of Korean printing using artifacts, photographs, and videos, and for offering a variety of hands-on programs linked to the exhibition, providing visitors with opportunities to acquire new knowledge. Over approximately nine months, a total of 257,531 people visited the exhibition, which achieved a visitor satisfaction rate of 98%.

The district opened the 'Songpa Book Museum,' the nation’s first museum dedicated to books, on April 23, 2019, World Book Day. Since then, it has led the way in collecting, preserving, and researching cultural heritage related to books, as well as in hosting distinctive exhibitions, lectures, and educational activities.

Seo Gangseok, Mayor of Songpa District, stated, "This achievement is significant in that it recognizes the Songpa Book Museum’s efforts to widely promote the value of books and printing culture and to play a leading role in revitalizing reading culture." He added, "We will continue to actively support the museum so that it becomes Korea’s representative book museum, offering unique exhibitions and a variety of book-related events."