This year, the focus will be on laying the foundation for reading culture in the region and spreading the youth reading culture. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Apr. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on Thursday that it will push for a follow-up to last year’s “Year of the Book” to encourage citizens to read books daily.
Last year, the “Year of the Book” project focused on conducting various campaigns to increase awareness of reading and establish a nationwide network of reading links in order to increase reading.
This year, the focus will be on laying the foundation for reading culture in the region and spreading the youth reading culture.
Late-Night Bookstore Day: 70 bookstores nationwide on the last Friday of every month, starting from April.
As a means to promote reading culture, the government is promoting ‘Late-night Bookstore’ days with the cooperation of the Korea Federation of Bookstore Associations so that readers can visit local bookstores.
The 70 bookstores will be selected after two public offerings in the second half of the year and a total of 560 events will be held over eight months until November.
The bookstores will be spread out nationwide with 20 bookstores in Seoul, 11 in Gyeonggi Province and four in Busan.
There will be many unique and colorful events on Late-Night Bookstore days, including book stories (book talk), book discussions, lectures by writers, as well as treasure hunts, wine bookstores and late-night movie theaters.
(image: Yonhap)
Establishing a regional reading culture hub
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will establish a book culture center, a place where people can experience the process of publishing.
In cooperation with local governments, the government will provide places where local residents can enjoy reading culture, while regional-based publishers can foster start-up businesses and encourage creativity.
The book culture centers will provide a space for children and their families to experience publishing, such as making books, as well as a space for citizens to use on a daily basis, such as a children’s reading playground and book café.
For those who wish to start their own publishing businesses, the company will provide childcare facilities for start-ups and related consulting to act as a publishing creation office.
The city of Gangneung was selected as the site for building a book culture center this year. The center is expected to open at the end of August after facilities are established and implementation programs are created.
Local governments nationwide participate in reading programs
The ministry will support grassroots independent reader development programs.
This year, it will showcase “book festivals” on a regional level by utilizing book programs from three regions selected through public recruitment for local governments and private organizations.
‘Book Experience Friends’ service to visit every corner of South Korea
A “book experience bus” will run across the country from July, offering a new type of experience opportunities for areas where there are no bookstores.
The book experience bus will also have an e-book and audio book experience space, along with an unmanned bookstore.
In addition, the ministry will also produce and air entertainment program to be watched together by the entire family. It will also support Book-Tubers who upload book-related videos on YouTube.
D. M. Park (dmpark@koreabizwire.com)
