Local Bookstores as Playgrounds and Record Spaces... 200 Local Bookstores Launch Reading Programs

MCST to Launch Life-Cycle Reading Culture Program from May to October
45 Bookstores in Seoul, 62 in Gyeonggi and Incheon Selected

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 12th that, together with the Korea Publication Culture Industry Promotion Agency and the Korea Federation of Bookstores Associations, it will operate the "Life Reading × Life Bookstore" program—a support project for reading culture activities tailored to the life cycle—at 200 local bookstores nationwide from May to October.

This project was established to develop local bookstores not only as spaces for reading books but also as hubs of daily culture by offering reading culture programs tailored to each stage of life. Each bookstore will host programs reflecting the characteristics of their target groups, such as children, teenagers, adults, and seniors.

The participating bookstores include 45 in Seoul, 62 in Gyeonggi and Incheon, 3 in Gangwon, 18 in Chungcheong, 19 in Jeolla, 43 in Gyeongsang, and 10 in Jeju. The bookstores were selected through a competitive process held from April 13 to 27, taking into account the originality and diversity of the proposed programs, as well as the proportion of applications from each region.

Each selected bookstore will receive up to 6 million won in support, covering cultural activity operations and bookstore owner stipends. The programs will go beyond book clubs and lectures to include discussions, writing, life record projects, and bookshelf exploration.

For example, "Gwangju Podo Bookstore" in Buk-gu, Gwangju will run the "Podo Detective Team," where children find clues in books and solve missions. "Seohaenggugan" in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province will hold the "Youth Biblio Battle," a program where teenagers introduce books they've read in five minutes and evaluate them together.

Programs in collaboration with the local community have also been prepared. "Chaekbang Sijeom" in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, will hold a "Wagle Wagle Reading Camp" for all students in partnership with Yangdo Elementary School and Jaram Library. "Donghaeng Seolim" in Miryang will collaborate with a nearby convenience store to introduce programs that bring books and literature into everyday spaces.

Kim Jaehyun, Director General for Culture and Media Industry Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Local bookstores are community cultural spaces where residents can easily encounter books and share stories about their lives and neighborhoods. Through this initiative, we will support local bookstores in establishing themselves as everyday cultural hubs for all generations."