One in Five Small Libraries Nationwide Closed Temporarily or Permanently

Annual Visitors Soar Despite Closures: An Irony
Min Hyung-bae: "Yoon Administration's Budget Cuts Are to Blame"

Min Hyung-bae, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker.

It has been revealed that one out of every five small libraries nationwide closed temporarily or permanently last year, raising concerns that citizens' opportunities to enjoy knowledge and culture are under threat.

On October 13, Min Hyung-bae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gwangsan-eul, Gwangju), analyzed the "Status of Small Library Operations Over the Past Six Years" submitted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the National Assembly audit. The data shows that cases of small libraries temporarily or permanently closing have been increasing every year. In 2019, 648 out of 6,672 small libraries (9.7%) were closed temporarily or permanently, but by last year, 1,440 out of 6,830 libraries (21.1%) had closed, more than doubling in just five years.

By region, Daejeon had the highest closure rate, with 21 out of 221 libraries (9.5%) closing, followed by Sejong (6.1%), Gwangju (5.9%), and Gyeonggi Province (5.4%).

This decline in the number of libraries stands in stark contrast to the steady increase in the number of small library users. The number of visitors rose from 21.98 million in 2020 to 32.47 million in 2024, with more than 10 million new users each year, creating the ironic situation where facilities are decreasing even as usage grows.

The core issue is the budget. Last year, both the local government public library support budget and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's small library support project budget decreased compared to five years ago. In particular, the entire 2 million won budget for the Ministry's "Small Library Culture Day" project was cut for two consecutive years.

Min Hyung-bae stated, "It appears that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's drastic cuts to the budget for reading, bookstores, libraries, and publishing last year have resulted in the current wave of temporary and permanent small library closures." He emphasized, "The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism must develop multifaceted revitalization measures, taking into account the future value of libraries as spaces that enhance the intellectual and cultural quality of life for the public."

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