Pyeonsaekbang Yeon Moon "I Need to Earn Money Quickly to Expand the Bookstore"

Former President Moon Jae-in, the 'bookstore keeper' who held the first cultural event after the opening of 'Pyeongsan Bookstore,' said, "I need to quickly earn money and secure a larger space."

On the second day after its opening, the Pyeongsan Bookstore held its first cultural program on the 27th, hosting a meeting with author Jung Ji-ah, who wrote the novel Father's Liberation Diary. About 50 residents from Pyeongsan Village and nearby areas filled the venue. The bookstore cleared its internal shelves and arranged 30 chairs.

Former President Moon Jae-in is giving a greeting on the afternoon of the 27th at Pyeongsan Bookstore in Habuk-myeon, Yangsan-si, Gyeongnam. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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Former President Moon, who attended with Mrs. Kim Jung-sook, said, "After stepping down from the presidency and moving to Yangsan to spend the rest of my life, I wanted to do something helpful for the community," adding, "Although I am not in a position to farm, since I like books, I thought opening a bookstore to read books together and run cultural programs might benefit the local area," explaining the reason for opening Pyeongsan Bookstore.

He continued, "The residents need to actively participate for the bookstore to do well and for cultural programs to continue vibrantly," and added, "Next month, we will hold a concert performed by the village chief himself, and once or twice a month, we will consistently invite authors to meet directly."

Former President Moon also said with a smile, "Seeing the place today, it’s small," and added, "I need to quickly earn money and secure a larger space."

The first invited guest, author Jung Ji-ah’s novel Father's Liberation Diary deals with the life story of her father, a partisan who was active in the South Korean Workers' Party, and was nominated for the Dongin Literary Award. Last October, former President Moon recommended this book, praising it by saying, "I am impressed by the author’s ability to resolve understanding and reconciliation in a misguided era and ideology through a humorous writing style."

At the event, author Jung said, "While other novels were written without strategy, Father's Liberation Diary was written with two thoughts in mind," and shared with readers, "I wrote it lightly and briskly, and from a perspective that views my father cynically."

Meanwhile, the operation of Pyeongsan Bookstore is managed by the Pyeongsan Bookstore Foundation, chaired by poet Ando Hyun, and the Bookstore Management Committee, which includes village residents. The Pyeongsan Bookstore side previously announced that all bookstore profits will belong to the foundation, and if there is any surplus, it will be used for public projects such as initiatives for residents of Pyeongsan Village, Jisan-ri, Habuk-myeon, and book donation programs.

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