385 Billion Won Support for Seoul Public Libraries... Promoting Balanced Development of Information and Culture

Construction and Remodeling of 27 Libraries
Operational Support for 568 Small Libraries and Others

Inside Yangjae Library, Seocho-gu.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] On the 17th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will support 38.5 billion KRW for the construction and operating costs of public libraries in 25 autonomous districts this year to improve library infrastructure and user environment.

According to the '2nd Comprehensive Plan for Seoul Library Development (2019-2023),' the city is striving for balanced development of public libraries so that all citizens can enjoy high-quality library services and cultural knowledge without regional disparities within Seoul.

First, to create a city where any citizen can walk to a library, 22.09 billion KRW will be invested in the construction of 15 autonomous district public libraries.

In addition, 2.661 billion KRW will be provided to five aging autonomous district public libraries, including the Gangbuk Youth Culture Information Library, to improve library facilities. The project also includes creating specialized spaces within library areas that citizens can use in various ways.

The specialized space creation project received applications from 15 libraries in 12 autonomous districts through a district competition. Eight libraries will be selected within this month and supported with 650 million KRW.

The construction, remodeling, and space improvement projects for public libraries prioritize regional balanced development when selecting support targets. From 2019 to 2025, a total of 136 libraries will be constructed and renovated, including 66 new libraries and 70 remodeling and space improvement projects.

Additionally, Seoul supports operating expenses and book purchase costs annually for autonomous district public libraries and small libraries, with a total operating support budget of 13.2 billion KRW this year.

Support will be provided as follows: 7.877 billion KRW for 152 district-run public libraries, 770 million KRW for 385 public and private small libraries, 800 million KRW for 9 libraries for the disabled, and 3.77 billion KRW for 22 education office libraries.

Lee Jeong-su, Director of Seoul Library, said, "We hope to take a step closer to realizing the goal of 'Knowledge and Culture City, Seoul,' where all citizens can equally enjoy library services by contributing to the improvement of public library user environments and qualitative growth."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.