The seven-month event, which begins next month and will continue until September, incorporates reading into the marathon, and is open to everyone above the age of elementary school, the city of Jeonju said on Monday. (Image: Yonhap)
JEONJU, Feb. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — Jeonju, a South Korean city famous for literature, will hold a ‘reading marathon’ to encourage reading among its residents.
The seven-month event, which begins next month and will continue until September, incorporates reading into the marathon, and is open to everyone above the age of elementary school, the city of Jeonju said on Monday.
The latest move by the local government comes as officials are hoping to encourage people to read more and create a healthy book reading culture amid plunging book sales in the country.
Each page will be counted as 1 meter in the marathon, and participants will be asked to keep an online daily diary where they keep track of the books they read and leave short reviews.
Participants who complete the reading marathon will receive certificates issued by the Jeonju City Government, and have a cap on the maximum number of books they can borrow lifted.
According to new government data, 4 in 10 South Korean adults didn’t even read a single book between October 2016 and September 2017, the lowest figure since records began at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
