Kim Dongyeon Proposes Mutual Exchange Between Gyeonggi Provincial Library and China's Largest Shanghai Library

Kim Dongyeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, visited the Shanghai Library in China on the 25th and proposed mutual exchange and cooperation with the "Gyeonggi Provincial Library," which is scheduled to open in October.

On this day, Governor Kim stated, "One of the tasks for the Gyeonggi Provincial Library, which will open in about a month, is to promote cultural exchanges with foreign libraries. I hope that we can work together so that the Shanghai Library becomes our first overseas partner." He added, "What I have requested for the Gyeonggi Provincial Library is to go beyond simply being a place to read and borrow books. I want it to be a venue where advanced technologies, including AI, are integrated, where climate and environmental issues can be experienced, and where residents of the province can gather and communicate together."

The mutual cooperation plan proposed by Governor Kim includes: establishing exchange programs for talent development; jointly utilizing online services and expanding digital information services; participating in the "Window of Shanghai" project, which shares books and materials across regional and national borders; and operating cultural exchange programs.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon warmly greets a child who visited the Shanghai Library with their parents on the 25th. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

To symbolize ongoing cooperation, Gyeonggi Province presented the Shanghai Library with 100 books across 30 different titles. The donated books included "The Vegetarian" by Han Kang, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and "Summer Is Coming" by Lee Suzy, who received the Hans Christian Andersen Award, often called the Nobel Prize of children's literature.

The Shanghai Library opened in September 2022 and is the largest library in China, with a total area of 115,000 square meters, two basement levels and seven above-ground floors, and 6,000 seats. Among newly built libraries, it is the largest in the world and holds a collection of 4.8 million books.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Library is set to open on October 25 within the Gwanggyo Convergence Town in Suwon. With a project cost of 123 billion won, it spans a total area of 27,775 square meters, consisting of four basement levels and five above-ground floors. In addition to running complex cultural programs utilizing open and integrated spaces, it will also function as a policy library, overseeing the policies and cooperation of over 2,000 libraries within the province.

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