Seongbuk Residents' Reading Passion Heats Up Online... Seungro Lee, Seongbuk District Mayor, Makes Surprise Appearance

In 2012, Seoul's local governments first launched the Reading Debate Academy... This year, the 9th session is conducted as an untact live lecture format... A total of 3 lectures with an average of 1,000 residents participating per session

On the 23rd, when the 2nd session of the non-face-to-face reading discussion academy was held, Lee Seung-ro, the mayor of Seongbuk-gu, appeared as a surprise guest and engaged in a real-time conversation with the residents.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] The love for reading among Seongbuk-gu residents, unstoppable even by COVID-19, is heating up online.

Seongbuk-gu is conducting the 'Reading Discussion Academy,' which has been ongoing for the past eight years, in a non-face-to-face format this year, its ninth year. Contrary to initial expectations that residents' interest and participation in the 'Reading Discussion Academy' would be low due to COVID-19, more residents have participated with each session, engaging in passionate discussions and support.

A Seongbuk-gu official stated, “The Reading Discussion Academy was first started by Seongbuk-gu among Seoul's autonomous districts in 2012, reflecting the residents' exceptional enthusiasm for reading,” adding, “Although the event was held online instead of in-person discussions due to COVID-19, there were concerns about how many residents would participate, but the unexpected response and support have encouraged everyone.”

Seungro Lee, the mayor of Seongbuk-gu, also lent his support to the non-face-to-face Reading Discussion Academy boom. On the 23rd, he appeared as a surprise guest for the second lecture titled 'The Power of Writing to Organize Thoughts.'

The mayor encouraged, saying, “With social distancing measures causing the closure of cultural facilities including libraries, many people are going through tough daily lives,” and added, “We are doing our best to restore some time for healing the fatigue of COVID-19 through culture by partially reopening 14 public libraries and cultural facilities and preparing various non-face-to-face programs.”

The 2020 Seongbuk-gu 'Reading Discussion Academy' is being conducted in a total of three sessions in an untact live lecture format. Following the session on the 16th titled 'The Power of Questioning Reading,' and the one on the 23rd titled 'The Power of Writing to Organize Thoughts,' the final session 'The Power of Communicative Speaking' is scheduled for the 30th. On average, about 1,000 residents participate in each session.

Since participants of the previous face-to-face 'Reading Discussion Academy' formed and actively engaged in reading clubs within Seongbuk-gu, the district is considering various ways for participants of the non-face-to-face 'Reading Discussion Academy' to communicate and expand exchanges within the local community through reading as a medium.

For inquiries about the Seongbuk-gu Reading Discussion Academy, please contact the Library Support Team of the Culture and Sports Division at Seongbuk-gu Office by phone.

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