Kim Dong-yeon: "80% of What Made Me Who I Am Is Reading... I Want to Make South Korea an Exporter of Ideas"

Lifelong Reading Project 'Cheongwonro' Vision Declaration and Town Hall Meeting
Cheongwon Book Reading: The Path of Lifelong Reading, Walking While Reading a Thousand Books
Exploring Ways to Revitalize Publishing and Bookstores Through Fostering a Reading Culture

Gyeonggi Province is promoting a lifelong reading project in collaboration with the publishing industry, local bookstores, libraries, and reading organizations to encourage reading among all residents.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is delivering a greeting at the 'Vision for the Promotion of Reading Culture in Gyeonggi Province' event held on the 25th at the Forest of Wisdom in Paju Book City. Photo by Lee Jong-gu

On the 25th, Gyeonggi Province held a town hall meeting at the Forest of Wisdom in Paju Book City with about 200 participants including publishing, bookstore, reading organization, and library officials, supporters, and residents from various sectors. The meeting declared a vision for promoting reading culture in the province and explored ways to revive publishing and bookstores through fostering a culture of reading.

Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, said in his congratulatory speech, “A poet once said that 80% of what raised me was the wind, but I have often thought that 80% of what raised me was books and reading. The books I read and writing I did from a young age were among the most important sources that shaped me.” He added, “When I was a university president, I created a book club where we selected one book each month to read and discuss with students. We read works such as the complete translation of Gulliver’s Travels and Han Kang’s The Vegetarian.”

Governor Kim continued, “I want to make South Korea a country that exports ideas. As Baekbeom (Kim Gu) said, a nation that exports culture and our thoughts. At the recent Davos Forum, there was much talk about technological advances and AI development, but I believe our comparative advantage starts with reading books.” He emphasized, “I hope Gyeonggi Province can create an opportunity to revitalize neighborhood bookstores, small libraries, and representative libraries of Gyeonggi Province. I want all residents of Gyeonggi Province and South Korea to love reading books, never put books down, and grow themselves through reading.”

At the event, all participants pledged to read one thousand books and declared the ‘Cheongwonro (路)’ vision. ‘Cheongwonro’ was selected through a nationwide public contest and means a lifelong path of reading, walking the road by reading one thousand books. Attendees submitted their ‘life book’ and ‘one thousand book reading pledge’ via mobile. These will be saved as a ‘Reading Time Capsule’ and unveiled at the Gyeonggi Library opening in October.

Governor Kim Dong-yeon is introducing books that have changed their lives together with broadcaster Ilya Belyakov, Gyeonggi Hidden Writer Lee Seo-woo, and Choi Seo-rim, the third-generation manager of the local bookstore Dongbang Seorim, at a town hall meeting. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

During the subsequent town hall meeting, Governor Kim Dong-yeon, broadcaster Ilya Belyakov, Gyeonggi Hidden Writer Lee Seo-woo, and Choi Seo-rim, the third-generation manager of the local bookstore Dongbang Seorim, introduced books that changed their lives. They engaged in interactive communication with residents about globally recognized K-literature, Gyeonggi’s reading policies, and preparations for the opening of the Gyeonggi Library.

Additionally, the event featured a special reading lecture by Godowon, Chairman of the Morning Letter Cultural Foundation, who has written morning letters daily for 25 years. The lifelong reading alliance, consisting of local libraries, the Morning Letter Cultural Foundation, Kyobo Bookstore Co., Ltd., Hangilsa Co., Ltd., and 125 Gyeonggi residents, launched the lifelong reading supporters group ‘Cheonhamujeok Reading Team.’ The team will promote the Gyeonggi reading support points system and create various reading content.

This year, Gyeonggi Province secured 2.39 billion KRW in provincial funds to support reading activities throughout residents’ life cycles through various projects such as reading camps, reading challenges, and ‘Children’s Thousand Book Reading.’

In the second half of the year, Gyeonggi Province will become the first in the nation to provide reading support points to residents aged 14 and older. The reading support points system awards points for reading activities such as book purchases, borrowing, reading records, and review sharing, and accumulated points can be converted into local currency.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is taking a commemorative photo with attendees at the 'Vision for the Promotion of Reading Culture in Gyeonggi Province' event held on the 25th at the Forest of Wisdom in Paju Book City. Photo by Gyeonggi Province

Individuals can receive up to 30,000 KRW per half-year (60,000 KRW annually), and the converted local currency can be used to purchase books at local bookstores or donated to World Vision or vulnerable groups. To support this, the province plans to operate a reading platform from July that allows users to record various reading activities.

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