Why Do Dong-gu Residents in Gwangju Read More Books Than the National Average?

Dong-gu Analyzes as "Having a Stable Foundation for Reading"

Exterior view of Gwangju Dong-gu Office.

Dong-gu District in Gwangju announced on March 18 that, according to a comparative analysis between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's "2025 National Reading Survey" and Dong-gu's own "Residents' Reading Survey," the district showed higher reading rates and reading volume than the national average.

According to the recently released 2025 National Reading Survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the annual comprehensive reading rate among adults was 38.5%, and the average number of books read per year was 2.4. In contrast, Dong-gu's Residents' Reading Survey revealed an annual reading rate of 48% and an average yearly reading volume of 4.3 books, significantly surpassing the national average. Based on these results, Dong-gu assessed itself as "a region with a relatively stable foundation for reading compared to the national level."

The level of awareness about reading was also found to be higher than the national average. While the National Reading Survey indicated that about 67% of adults gave positive responses regarding the usefulness of reading, the Dong-gu survey showed that 83.1% of residents recognized reading as an activity that improves quality of life and provides emotional stability. In terms of the need for reading policies, 88.8% of respondents expressed agreement, demonstrating that a strong consensus on the importance of reading culture has formed within the local community.

Dong-gu attributes these results to the achievements of its ongoing "Book-Reading Dong-gu" policy, which has been continuously promoted as part of its humanities city initiative. Since 2020, Dong-gu has implemented various reading culture policies to create a humanities city environment where residents can grow together through books.

Currently, Dong-gu operates a wide range of community-centered reading policies, including: ▲ selection of "recommended books for residents (Book of the Year)" for infants, children, youth, and adults; ▲ author talks and reading discussion programs; ▲ mobile reading classrooms in collaboration with schools; ▲ reading culture programs in partnership with local bookstores; and ▲ resident participation-based reading culture events.

Notably, programs that involve local hubs, libraries, schools, and resident communities carry significant meaning, as they establish reading as a "community-driven culture" rather than simply a "hobby for a select few." In fact, the survey found that satisfaction with Dong-gu's book-related humanities initiatives scored 90.5 points, indicating a very high level of resident engagement and satisfaction.

For 2026, Dong-gu has set the central theme of "Book-Reading Dong-gu" as "A Life of Human Choice in the Age of AI," aiming to further strengthen humanities-based reading that helps residents reflect on human dignity and attitudes toward life, even amid the rapidly changing AI and technological landscape.

In addition, to respond to the evolving reading environment, Dong-gu plans to advance its reading policies by: ▲ enhancing "Reading Introduction" programs for non-readers; ▲ redesigning promotional strategies tailored for the 2030 generation; ▲ expanding promotion and support for e-book services; ▲ creating reading environments based on residential areas; and ▲ transforming local bookstores into community hubs.

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