The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Publication Industry Promotion Agency (KPIPA) said on the 25th that they will hold "Reading Korea 2025" for the first time from the 26th to the 28th at the Four Seasons Garden and the Octagonal Hall exhibition room in Children's Grand Park in Gwangjin District, Seoul.
This year's theme is "Reading is a journey, a book club is a companion." Starting in Apr., more than 1,000 people across the country have shared the results of the "Reading Korea 2025" book club activities carried out with 10 field experts (book mentors) in culture, arts, sports and other areas, and the event will feature lectures, exhibitions, hands-on programs, and performances.
The 10 "book mentors" will meet book club members and the general public during the event period to share life experiences with books. Since Apr., they have sent out newsletters each month with recommended titles and have engaged steadily with members through on- and offline lectures and online chat rooms. At this festival, starting with a lecture by poet Jeong Ho-seung on the 26th, all of them will take the stage and continue lectures through the 28th. On-site registration is also available.
Activity records by book club members will also be on display. Visitors can see in one place a variety of materials, including five months of reading journals and copywork, accounts of visits to libraries and bookstores, and book recommendation activities. In addition, a "one-month book club" will newly recruit participants from among people who could not join the existing book clubs. A hundred people selected by lottery will continue book club meetings throughout Oct., and among them, 20 outstanding participants will be able to join a "Jongno literature tour" with producer Kim Min-sik in Nov.
At the Four Seasons Garden, reading-related hands-on events will be offered for anyone to enjoy. An outdoor library has been set up where visitors can freely read about 1,000 books recommended by book club members and book mentors, and 10 book club booths will run distinctive experiential events suited to their themes. At the webtoon and web novel booths, visitors can complete a portion of a webtoon or web novel, and at the game and storytelling booths, they can take part in a game choosing one of the extreme situations that appeared in a book, providing opportunities to broaden interest in books through various programs.
During the event, there will be performances, talks, and readings centered on books. On the opening day, the 26th, the "Forest healing book concert" will be held, where visitors can enjoy music from novels and film music, and on the 27th, a "book talk" featuring author Jinju, who won the newcomer grand prize at the Bologna Ragazzi Awards, will take place. On the final day, the 28th, voice actor Seo Hye-jeong and book club members will read "The Little Prince" together in a program titled "The resonance of one book." There will also be a variety of family-friendly activities, including book stacking, a reading golden bell quiz, photo zones, coloring book covers, and making bookmarks and badges.
Im Seong-hwan, director general of the media policy bureau at the ministry, said, "This event was prepared to look back on the activities so far and to help not only book club members but anyone rediscover the value of books and feel the joy of reading together," adding, "The ministry will continue to actively support the formation of a reading culture in our society and make books more accessible in everyday life by working with libraries, bookstores, and publishers."