Gyeonggi-do to Open 11 Public Libraries This Year

Gyeonggi Province will open 11 public libraries this year.

On the 23rd, Gyeonggi Province announced that this year, in addition to the Gyeonggi Provincial Library, the metropolitan representative library, public libraries in eight regions including Gimpo, Gwangju, Seongnam, Hanam, Icheon, Paju, Ansan, and Hwaseong will open.

First, the Gyeonggi Provincial Library, themed as a ‘Climate and Environment Library,’ will open in October within the Gwanggyo Convergence Town in Suwon City. With a project cost of 123 billion KRW, the Gyeonggi Provincial Library will be built with a total area of 27,775㎡, consisting of 4 basement floors and 5 above-ground floors, providing various policies and services for residents. In particular, it will also function as a policy library overseeing the policies and cooperation of over 2,000 libraries.

The opening schedule for public libraries in cities and counties is as follows: Modam Library in Gimpo (April), Sunae Library in Seongnam (May), Opo Library in Gwangju (June, newly constructed and relocated), Sinhyeon Library (July), Gamil Library in Hanam (August), Seohee Library in Icheon (September), Munsan Hub Library in Paju (September), Dongtan Central Library in Hwaseong (October), Wadong Library in Ansan (November), and Bongdam Wau Complex Cultural Library in Hwaseong (December).

Modam Library, located near Modamsan in Gimpo City, will be a complex community space for communication and education with a focus on culture and arts, covering a total area of 8,682㎡ with 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors.

Sunae Library, built within Sunae Neighborhood Park in Bundang-gu, Seongnam City, will have a total area of 7,016㎡ and accommodate 900 seats, equipped with a children’s reading room, information room, cultural classroom, and makerspace.

Gyeonggi-do Library Bird's-eye View

Munsan Hub Library in Paju City will be constructed with a total area of 5,450㎡, consisting of 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors. It is planned to operate as a hub-type public library specializing in peace, complementing the functional limitations of northern rural libraries in the Paju area.

Dongtan Central Library in Hwaseong City will have a total area of 10,637㎡, with 1 basement floor and 4 above-ground floors, featuring various complex cultural spaces and community spaces such as a forest of knowledge and a media gallery, providing high-quality library services befitting a special city.

Currently, there are 323 public libraries operating in Gyeonggi Province, and including the 11 new libraries opening by the end of this year, the total will reach 334.

Kang Hyun-seok, Director of the Future Lifelong Education Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, said, "We plan to continue increasing public libraries so that all residents can enjoy comfortable and pleasant library services," adding, "We will enhance the quality of public library services to make them spaces where people want to stay."

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