Over 70,000 Gather at the 12th Korea Reading Festival in Gimpo

Mayor Kim Byungsoo: "The Reading Festival in Gimpo Marks a New Beginning, Not an End"
From the 19th to the 21st: Majority of Visitors Were Families with Children
Digital and AI Technologies Integrated into Reading Culture
Fusion of Books and the Arts Helps Transform Perceptions of Reading

The 12th Korea Reading Festival, held in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, attracted more than 70,000 visitors, making it a huge success. The event stood out for its innovative attempts to integrate digital and AI technologies with reading culture. Many noted that the fusion of books and the arts lowered barriers to reading and provided an opportunity for a broader audience to engage with books.

Citizens are enjoying their time participating in the 12th Korea Reading Festival held by Gimpo City from the 19th to the 21st at venues including Gimpo Hangang Central Park, La Venice Waterfront, and Janggi Library. Provided by Gimpo City

According to Gimpo City on September 22, the festival, held over three days from the 19th to the 21st at venues such as Gimpo Hangang Central Park, La Venice Waterfront, and Janggi Library, brought together key figures from the national publishing industry, libraries, and the cultural and arts sectors. Most visitors were families with children.

The highlight of this year’s festival was the introduction of new approaches using digital and AI technologies, especially the QR-based reservation and participation management system, which was implemented for the first time in the country. The city plans to collect and analyze festival data to identify preferences and use it as foundational material for customized reading culture policies.

This marks a significant shift, as the festival is no longer a one-off event but serves as a major opportunity to enhance the specificity of local education and cultural policies. In addition, a mobile-based escape room game offered children a new reading experience by allowing them to explore stories directly, while an academic program themed “AI and Libraries” provided a serious forum for discussing the future of libraries in the digital age.

The festival also drew attention for lowering barriers to reading and promoting the idea that “reading is play.” The main event, themed as a fairy tale world, featured leading domestic authors, singers, and cultural figures who presented various reading culture programs.

Notably, events such as the “Moon Boat Carnival,” where book characters greeted visitors on moon boats against the backdrop of La Venice, the “Book Pub” combining books and beer, the “Pet Booknic” where people read with their dogs on the lawn, and reading sessions where children read to puppies, were cited as exemplary cases of making reading an everyday joy.

Citizens are participating in the 12th Korea Reading Festival held by Gimpo City from the 19th to the 21st at venues including Gimpo Hangang Central Park, La Venice Waterfront, and Janggi Library, engaging in reading activities. Provided by Gimpo City

Another distinctive achievement was the introduction of the passport-style “Reading Citizenship” system, which encouraged citizens to participate in year-round programs even before the festival began-a unique feature of the Gimpo Reading Festival.

The convergence of books and the arts at various locations also received an enthusiastic response from visitors. Meetings with bestselling authors such as Kim Hoyoun and Kim Aeran, an opening performance by honorary ambassador Yang Heeeun, and a celebratory stage by singer Lee Mujin drew cheers from the crowd.

Exhibitions commemorating the 80th anniversary of poet Yun Dongju’s passing and displays of award-winning citizen book reviews reaffirmed the power of books to connect the past, present, and future. In addition, musical essay performances by teenagers created a new space where literature and music merged, allowing audiences to experience the effect of reading while listening to music.

The greatest achievement of this year’s festival was that it was planned and operated collaboratively, showcasing Gimpo’s vision for a community-oriented cultural city. The event was organized with the combined efforts of the publishing and cultural arts sectors, local community, small business owners, and public officials. In particular, the citizen planning group, composed of Gimpo residents, contributed fresh ideas based on everyday experiences, such as distributing amusement park-style wristbands for admission and creating bookshelves tailored to MBTI personality types, actively participating as “participants” rather than mere “spectators.”

Local merchants near La Venice offered special discounts to book fair buyers, demonstrating how festival-linked programs can naturally boost the local economy. Collaboration among institutions such as the police and fire departments, the Office of Education, voluntary crime prevention and disaster response groups, and women’s volunteer organizations, along with spontaneous community support, ensured a safe and clean festival environment.

The fact that this year’s Gimpo Reading Festival was able to break away from conventional reading festivals and explore new possibilities is seen as a result of Mayor Kim Byungsoo’s firm commitment to pragmatism.

A child is reading a book at the 12th Korea Reading Festival held from the 19th to the 21st at Gimpo Hangang Central Park, La Venice Waterfront, and Janggi Library. Provided by Gimpo City

Mayor Kim Byungsoo stated, “This festival is not the end, but the beginning of a full-fledged spread of reading culture and a turning point for enhancing Gimpo’s educational competitiveness. In the AI era, human competitiveness lies in thinking skills, creativity, and the ability to ask questions. Gimpo City is focusing on creating an environment where children can draw out inner questions through diverse external stimuli.”

He continued, “More important than technical proficiency with artificial intelligence and software is the creativity that enables meaningful questions, and the foundation of creativity is none other than reading. I believe the significance of this year’s Korea Reading Festival in Gimpo is that many children across the country came to see reading as a fun activity and opened up new virtuous cycles based on customized information. Gimpo will continue to support the spread of reading culture and establish itself as a leading city in the renaissance of reading culture through new initiatives.”

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