A Korean-Style Children's Library to Open in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Support for Construction of Annex at Ulaanbaatar City Central Library
Opening Planned for 2026

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 25th that it will support the construction of an annex to the Ulaanbaatar City Central Library in Mongolia as part of its Official Development Assistance (ODA) project.

Image of the Annex of Ulaanbaatar City Central Library, Mongolia. Provided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

According to the Ministry, a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the annex to the Ulaanbaatar City Central Library will be held at 10 a.m. on the 26th. Attendees include Song Yun-seok, Director of Regional Culture Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ambassador Choi Jin-won of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Mongolia, Nomin, Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Youth of Mongolia, and Nyambaartar, Mayor of Ulaanbaatar City.

Built in 1980, the Ulaanbaatar City Central Library was primarily designed for adults and is currently in a considerably aged state. Accordingly, the Ministry plans to construct a new annex for children and youth, aiming for its opening in 2026. The building will have a total area of 2,300㎡ and four floors, featuring an eco-friendly and barrier-free design. It will include rooms for infants and children, a youth materials room, a digital materials room, and a Korean materials room, with support for books and equipment. Training programs for library administrators and staff, including invited training and expert dispatch education programs, will also be conducted.

Image of the first floor infant and children's room. Provided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Indra, Director of the Ulaanbaatar City Central Library, stated, “The newly constructed annex will be a library that is easily accessible to children, youth, and people with disabilities, providing a high-quality educational environment.”

Song Yun-seok, Director of Regional Culture Policy at the Ministry, said, “This groundbreaking ceremony will serve as an opportunity to open a new chapter of cooperation between Korea and Mongolia centered on libraries. We will do our best to globally expand the Korean-style library model and establish a cultural foundation where the whole world can grow together.”

Since 2007, the Ministry has improved public library environments in developing countries lacking educational and cultural infrastructure and supported high-quality cultural and educational content, including Korean materials. By 2019, it had established 132 small libraries, and since 2020, it has shifted its support focus to public libraries, successfully establishing the Hanoi City Public Library in Vietnam in 2023.

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