A Reading Journey with Book Mentors... First "Reading Korea" Event to Be Held

To Be Held at Seoul Children's Grand Park from September 26 to 28
Lectures by 10 Book Mentors, Concerts, and Reading Sessions

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on September 25 that, together with the Korea Publishing Culture and Industry Promotion Agency, it will host the "2025 Reading Korea" event from September 26 to 28 at the Four Seasons Garden and the Octagonal Hall Exhibition Room in Seoul Children's Grand Park, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. The theme is "Reading is a Journey, Book Clubs are Companions."

This event will showcase the achievements of book club activities that have been ongoing since April. Starting with a lecture by poet Jeong Hoseung on September 26, there will be lectures by 10 "book mentors" who participated in the book clubs, continuing until September 28. On-site participation is also available.

A variety of reading records will also be exhibited. Reading journals and photos from book club members will be displayed. At the venue, an additional 100 participants will be recruited for the "One-Month Book Club" through a lottery. Among them, 20 outstanding participants in October will be given the opportunity to join the "Jongno Literature Tour" led by producer Kim Minsik in November.

Lim Seonghwan, Director of the Media Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "This event is designed to reflect on past activities and to allow not only book club members but everyone in the country to rediscover the value of books and experience the joy of reading together. The Ministry will continue to actively support the creation of a reading culture in our society and encourage people to keep books close in their daily lives by cooperating with libraries, bookstores, and publishers."

An outdoor library has also been set up where visitors can read around 1,000 recommended books. Attendees can participate in games that involve completing a part of a webtoon or web novel, or experiencing extreme situations from books.

At the opening ceremony on September 26, there will be a "Forest Healing Book Concert" where visitors can enjoy music from novels or film adaptations of novels. On September 27, there will be a book talk with author Jinju, who won the prestigious Bologna Ragazzi Award for New Authors with "If You Want to Eat a Red Apple." On September 28, voice actress Seo Hyejeong will read "The Little Prince."