The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on April 23 will launch the nationwide campaign Reading Korea jointly with the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea and Book Culture Foundation. Shown is a scene from the Seoul International Book Fair on June 18, 2025, at COEX Mall in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District. (Lee Jeongwoo)

By Aisylu Akhmetzianova

A nationwide campaign starting April 23 seeks to promote reading to the public.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on April 21 announced that the launching ceremony for this year's Reading Korea will be at Starfield Library of COEX Mall in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District, with cohosts Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea and Book Culture Foundation to attend.

Celebrities such as actor Moon So-ri and novelist Kim Keum Hee and Cabinet ministers will participate as "campaign partners."

To begin at 4 p.m. on April 23, the ceremony will feature a lecture by literary critic and professor Na Min-ae, followed by the musical "A Thousand Blues" and a book talk with Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young and novelist Chung Serang.

Other events through April 26 near the library include a "reading style analysis" to check reading habits and quizzes on reading.

The ministry will hold year-round programs to raise public access to books in daily life.

First, the campaign partners and Cabinet members will participate in a "reading relay" by sharing their daily reading routines on social media. The service "Reading of the Month" will provide information on major reading events and programs nationwide like book fairs and monthly discussions.

"We hope for this campaign to serve as a catalyst for adding books to daily life and awakening the joy of reading together," Minister Chae said. "We will strive to strengthen the basis for a country strong in humanities in the artificial intelligence era and promote a reading culture to ensure that the joy of reading stimulates the power of thought."

Official poster for launching ceremony of Reading Korea (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)