Six out of 10 adults do not read a single book in a year.
But Yongin in Gyeonggi is different. Citizens' reading rates far exceed the national average, and the public library that lends the most books in the country also came from Yongin. Observers say the city, which is growing as a hub of the semiconductor industry, is also building its identity as a "knowledge city."
◇ Suji Library ranks No. 1 in loans for 3 straight years… half of the libraries are in the top 100
On the 6th, according to Yongin and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Yongin citizens' annual reading rate is 54.2%, far higher than the national adult average of 38.5%. The figure comes from an analysis of the Yongin social survey report and the national reading survey.
With this high reading rate, library use is also active. Suji Library ranked No. 1 in the number of loans for three consecutive years in the government's National Public Library Statistics Survey. This year's print book loans totaled 850,526, the most among 1,328 public libraries nationwide.
Major libraries such as Giheung, Sanghyeon, and Dongbaek also made the top 100. More than half of the 21 libraries ranked in the upper tier. ▲ Giheung Library (461,404 loans, No. 13) ▲ Sanghyeon Library (446,256, No. 17) ▲ Dongbaek Library (384,926, No. 34) ▲ Jukjeon Library (379,608, No. 36) ▲ Seongbok Library (366,770, No. 43) ▲ Seonong Library (360,745, No. 47) ▲ Cheongdeok Library (315,439, No. 75) ▲ Dongcheon Library (309,763, No. 80) ▲ Heungdeok Library (293,993, No. 91), among others.
◇ "Libraries are everyday infrastructure"… expanded from 1 to 22 in 30 years
Yongin has steadily expanded its library infrastructure. In 1996, when the city was promoted in status, there was only one public library; that number has risen to 21 today, and including facilities under construction, it is set to expand to 22 within this year.
Libraries are being expanded through both remodeling existing buildings and new construction. Yongin Central Library and Guseong Library, which opened in 1993, reopened last year after remodeling. Remodeling of Dongbaek Library is also underway with the goal of reopening in the second half of 2029, and Gugal Hope Nuri Library and Jukjeon and Pogok libraries are also preparing for a new look.
Bojung Library, which opened in April, is a complex facility that goes beyond a traditional library. It was created as a "life-friendly space" that also houses a sports center, a day care center, a youth cultural center, and a senior welfare center. Sinbong Library will open in November, and new library construction is being pursued in Gorim-dong and Nam-dong. A public library is also planned for a community center within the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster.
A Yongin official said, "We plan to continue expanding libraries and improving services to meet citizens' strong demand for reading," adding, "We will strengthen the foundation of a 'reading city' befitting the rapidly growing urban scale."