Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Launches '60+ Year of Books' Project to Support Reading Activities for Seniors

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 27th that it will promote the '60+ Year of Books' project in cooperation with private organizations to create a reading environment and support reading activities suitable for the increasing elderly population.

The Ministry designated 2018 as the 'Year of Books' and has been implementing related projects each year targeting specific sectors and groups. Last year, it promoted the 'Year of Books for Youth' project, and this year it is carrying out the 'Year of Books' project targeting the elderly aged 60 and above. To implement the '60+ Year of Books,' related private organizations including publishing, reading, libraries, bookstores, and authors formed the '60+ Year of Books' promotion team on this day.

The '60+ Year of Books' was established to raise awareness of the value and benefits of reading among the elderly and to enhance life satisfaction in old age through reading. According to the 2019 National Reading Survey, the reading rate of those aged 60 and over was 32.4% in 2019, the lowest among all age groups. This represents a sharp decline compared to 48.1% in 2017. At the same time, 48.7% of respondents aged 60 and over perceived their reading volume as 'insufficient,' indicating an urgent need to promote a reading culture among the elderly.

In particular, due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, social activities among the elderly have significantly decreased, deepening psychological alienation and depression, making social healing and care through reading necessary. Accordingly, the '60+ Year of Books' project focuses on enhancing reading accessibility for the elderly, strengthening reading welfare, and expanding communication between generations.

The '60+ Year of Books' will be carried out in various ways, including participatory public projects for the elderly, reading welfare-related projects, and projects to broaden the base of elderly readers. Detailed information on project implementation and public project schedules can be sequentially checked on the website.

A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official emphasized, "Through the '60+ Year of Books,' we hope to widely promote the value and importance of reading among the elderly and create an environment where seniors can more easily access books," adding, "We will actively strive to promote the project as a continuous initiative rather than a one-time event."

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