Busan Office of Education to Hold Bosudong Book Alley Cultural Festival

Communication and Empathy Through Meetings with Authors and Student Reading Experiences

Fostering a Reading Culture in the Community Beyond Individuals and Families

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Ha Yoonsoo) will hold the "2024 Bosudong Book Alley Cultural Festival" at 10 a.m. on September 28 in Bosudong Book Alley, Jung-gu, in celebration of Reading Month. The event will welcome over 1,000 participants, including young children, elementary, middle, and high school students, parents, and citizens.

This festival aims to provide participants with diverse experiences through books and to foster communication and unity at Bosudong Book Alley, a famous landmark and cultural symbol of Busan with a 50-year history.

The Office of Education is organizing the festival in collaboration with its 10 affiliated libraries, school libraries, and the Jung-gu District Office. The focus is on sharing the joy of reading and promoting communication and empathy among participants through reading.

A variety of book-centered programs have been prepared, including a Book Alley Reading Adventure, storytelling sessions, reading experience exhibition booths highlighting each library’s unique features, student reading workshops, secondhand book reading experiences, and meetings with authors.

Programs include the "Elementary Reading Exploration Team," where participants complete missions while exploring the Bosudong Book Alley area, and the "Student Reading Workshop," which helps students accustomed to short texts and videos improve their literacy by reading longer poems and essays aloud.

The 10 libraries under the Busan Office of Education will offer reading experience programs reflecting their unique characteristics, while school libraries will set up booths displaying books related to the "Book Heart Card" experience. The Bosudong Book Alley Cultural Center will also host a "Collect Your Own Book Quote" activity.

A "Healing Reading Space" decorated with over 200 books and bean bags will be available, allowing participants to freely read books and enjoy the unique atmosphere of the book alley, where books and culture coexist.

After the opening ceremony at 2 p.m., a "Book Concert" will be held. Kim Junyong and Lee Sangbae, authors of this year’s One Book One Busan selection, "Laundry Fees Paid in Stories, Sanbok Laundry Bread," will share stories about meeting local residents.

There will also be meetings with Cha Yada, author of the picture book "Please Pick Up the Ball," and Han Mihwa, author of "When Will My Child Read Well on Their Own?"

Additionally, families who frequently use libraries will be awarded the "Book-Reading Family" certificate to encourage a reading culture at home. Other various side events include a "Caricature Experience and Comic Wall with a Webtoon Artist."

All festival programs are free of charge. The Busan Office of Education expects this festival to be a significant step in fostering a reading culture that extends beyond individuals and families to the entire community.

Ha Yoonsoo, Superintendent of the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, said, "This festival, held in a cultural alley where old and new books come together, will be a meaningful time to awaken the joy of reading for students and citizens. I hope many people participate and create wonderful memories."

Busan Metropolitan Office of Education will hold the Bosudong Bookstore Alley Cultural Festival.

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