Pohang City, Come to Poeun Ocheon Library! ... A Happy Cultural Playground for Citizens

The ‘Pohang City Po-eun Ocheon Library,’ a regional hub library in Nam-gu, Pohang, and a children’s specialized library that reopened last October, is establishing itself as a representative complex cultural community space in the local community amid great interest from citizens since its opening.

Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-deok touring the Pohang City Poeun Ocheon Library, which reopened last October.

The Po-eun Ocheon Library offers various facilities to meet the diverse needs of different citizens, attracting an average of about 1,000 visitors daily since its opening, gaining significant popularity.

The first floor of the library is designed as a children-only space befitting a children’s specialized library, including ▲ Ahae Chaektteul (Infant and Toddler Materials Room) ▲ Kkum Chaektteul (Children’s Materials Room) ▲ Segye Chaektteul (Children’s Original Language Materials Room) ▲ Silgam Noliteo (3D Experiential Storytelling, AR/VR Experience Playground).

The second floor includes ▲ Chaekmaru 1 (Language and Literature Materials Room) ▲ Sori Maru (Audiovisual Room) ▲ Iyagi Tteul (Book Caf?) ▲ Sangsang 1, 2, 3 Tteul (Lecture Rooms 1, 2, 3) ▲ User Rest Area ▲ Baram Tteurak (Outdoor Rest Area), providing comfortable spaces to enjoy reading and relaxation. In particular, the Haeoreum Maru, connecting the first and second floors, adds expansiveness and fun to what could be a monotonous space, allowing visitors to freely and comfortably enjoy reading and performances.

The third floor consists of ▲ Chaekmaru 2 (General, Digital, and Periodicals Room) ▲ Hyeyum Maru (Multipurpose Hall) ▲ Haetsal Tteurak (Outdoor Rest Area).

Currently, Po-eun Ocheon Library holds about 59,000 books, approximately 3,700 non-book items (DVDs), and around 50 types of periodicals. Notably, it houses various types of materials such as Smart The Chaek, AR books, pop-up books, big books, and leveled original language books to help children enjoy reading and develop proper reading habits.

The Po-eun Ocheon Library also contains spaces that connect the history, present, and future of our region. The exhibition corners dedicated to the late author Son Chun-ik on the first floor and the scholar Jeong Mong-ju on the second floor are the main features.

The late Son Chun-ik, a children’s author from Pohang, engaged in literary activities with warm interest and affection for the poor and vulnerable. Jeong Mong-ju, a loyalist from the late Goryeo period originating from Ocheon, remains a role model for many due to his upright integrity and will. The library’s name, Po-eun Ocheon Library, was chosen following Jeong Mong-ju’s pen name ‘Po-eun.’

The exhibition corners display collections of works and related materials, and the library plans to continuously collect materials to serve as a bridge between our history and citizens.

Additionally, the library captivates visitors with a variety of reading promotion programs spanning all generations and social groups, including Bookstart for infants, grade-specific reading clubs, picture book and musical play, storytelling, and total crafts for children, as well as reading clubs and parent education for adults.

Starting from the 17th, Po-eun Ocheon Library will also operate programs for multicultural families. Courses such as “Sisikolkoll Writing” for multicultural women and “Meeting Myself through Books” and “Meeting the World through Boards” for children will be offered to realize reading welfare for culturally marginalized groups.

On the 18th, the library will hold ‘Han Heuk-gu Literary Night,’ combining music and reading, to revisit the life and works of the late author Han Heuk-gu, who contributed to the development of local culture and arts, through his recently reissued essay collection after half a century. Any Pohang citizen can participate, and detailed information is available on the Pohang City Library website.

Kim Se-won, director of Pohang City Library, said, “Po-eun Ocheon Library is a cultural space closest to citizens’ lives, serving as a daily vitality recharge station and a stepping stone for children and adolescents to nurture healthy dreams. We expect it to play this role.” He added, “We will continue to strive to contribute to regional cultural development and grow as a library that communicates and grows together with local residents.”

The Po-eun Ocheon Library’s infant and children’s materials room (1st floor) operates from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the general materials rooms (2nd?3rd floors) operate from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (until 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays). The library is closed on the first and third Mondays of each month and on legal holidays.

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