Gangdong Book Festival to Be Held at Gangdong Central Library on November 1

Lectures, Performances, Exhibitions, and Outdoor Library

The Gangdong Cultural Foundation (Chairperson Lee Soohee, CEO Kim Youngho) will host the 16th Gangdong Book Festival at Gangdong Central Library on November 1.

The Gangdong Book Festival is held annually to rediscover the value of books and to promote a reading culture within the community. It has established itself as a venue for cultural communication that transcends generations and social classes.

Exterior view of Gangdong Central Library. Provided by Gangdong District.

This year’s festival will be held under the theme “THE LIBRARY: Library+.” Various organizations, including local publishers, bookstores, authors, and independent bookstores, will participate, reflecting the idea of the library evolving beyond a simple space into a collaborative platform that connects culture, people, and the community.

This event, taking place at Gangdong Central Library, which opened in August, will be a one-day multidisciplinary cultural festival featuring lectures, performances, exhibitions, hands-on experiences, and an outdoor library.

At 12:00 p.m., on the first floor’s “Sangsanggoht” space, there will be a stage combining piano performances and literary readings. The readings will be presented by Park Hyejin, a former announcer who has become a publisher. At 2:00 p.m., in the multipurpose hall on the second basement level, announcer Han Seokjun will give a lecture on “Communication for a Happy Life.” As the host of the YouTube channel “Knowledge Inside,” which has 3.2 million subscribers, and the CEO of the publisher “Bidan Forest,” he will share insights on the power of communication in everyday life through the skills of speaking and empathy.

On the same floor, in the Open Art Gallery, Kim Eunho, CEO of Hangilsa Publishing, will hold a book photography exhibition titled “Into the Forest of Books.” This exhibition offers an opportunity to appreciate the physicality of books and the beauty of records.

In the Dunchon 1-dong Neighborhood Park in front of the library, an outdoor library will be set up with bean bags and curated book selections, and a variety of performances-including a jazz quintet, string quartet, and magic show-will take place throughout the day. In addition, the “Gaji Market,” where residents can buy and sell used books and personal items, will also be held.

Kim Youngho, CEO of the Gangdong Cultural Foundation, stated, “This year, in celebration of the opening of the new library, we have embodied the idea of the library as a platform that connects culture and people beyond the boundaries of the community. We hope that not only book lovers but also all residents who wish to enjoy culture in their daily lives will show great interest and participate in the festival.”

Meanwhile, on the day of the festival, Gangdong Central Library will operate as usual, while seven district libraries-Seongnae, Haegong, Gangil, Amsa, Cheonho, Dunchon, and Soopsok-will be closed. For more information about the event, please visit the Gangdong District Library website.

Provided by Gangdong-gu.

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