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Seoul’s municipal government said on the 19th that it will open the Seoul Outdoor Library “Reading Seoul Plaza” on May 1 and operate special programs through May 5 to mark Children’s Day.
The program lineup will include family-focused Children’s Day events, a mini outdoor library at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), and a Seoul Outdoor Library Tour designed for foreign visitors.
Reading Seoul Plaza is an outdoor library on Seoul Plaza where anyone can read freely. It is one of three outdoor library hubs in the city — alongside Gwanghwamun Bookyard and Reading Clear Stream — and officials say they aim this year to raise its profile as a global destination for Korea’s reading culture.
Gwanghwamun Bookyard and Reading Clear Stream will open on the 23rd in observance of World Book and Copyright Day, while Reading Seoul Plaza will open on May 1 after renovations to the plaza are complete.
During its opening week, Reading Seoul Plaza will concentrate on family-friendly performances and hands-on activities tied to Children’s Day. Highlights include “Family Book Time,” when families turn off digital devices and read together; a parenting talk concert for mothers and fathers; and a range of performances and recreational programs to enrich the holiday weekend.
A May 3 “Sunday Fathers Club” book talk will be linked to the “Mom Book Boost” initiative, which sends book boxes to expectant parents to help create a home reading environment. Held during May’s Family Month, the program offers parents a chance to exchange child-rearing experiences and concerns and to build mutual support.
The opening week will also feature interactive events. In the “Peekaboo Book Plaza Ticket” activity, visitors who find hidden tickets tucked between pages will receive cotton candy. Each day from 5:40–6:00 p.m., a “Surprise Raffle Ticket” drawing will offer small end-of-day prizes.
To give more people a chance to experience the outdoor library, the city will run a mini outdoor library on the DDP lawn from May 2–5. The lawn setup — featuring spinning-top chairs, pop-up book kits, Reading Seoul Plaza’s signature sofas and book baskets — will offer a fresh take on public reading.
Beginning in May, the city will also launch the Seoul Outdoor Library Tour for foreign tourists. The experiential tour links the three outdoor library hubs, guiding participants on foot between sites and showcasing reading content tailored to each space.
Participants will start at the Gwanghwamun Bookyard reading lounge with immersive reading and a DIY reading-lamp workshop, move to Reading Clear Stream for a walk-plus-audiobook experience delivered via headphones, and finish at Reading Seoul Plaza with “Hip Book Time” — free-form reading on the grass — for a distinctive urban reading experience.
Kim Tae-hee, head of Seoul’s Culture Department, called the Seoul Outdoor Library “a special, open reading space in Seoul that everyone — from children and parents to foreign visitors — can enjoy together.” She added, “Through a variety of reading programs, we will expand everyday reading opportunities for citizens and continue to promote Seoul’s strong reading culture, aiming not only to lead reading culture in Korea but to help shape it globally.”
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