Ministry of Planning and Budget opens book-cafe library, partners with local bookstores

The Ministry of Planning and Budget has opened a book-cafe-style library called Seodamjae, introducing a new model for public institution libraries that fosters ties with the local cultural ecosystem through partnerships with independent bookstores.

The ministry held an opening ceremony Thursday at Seodamjae, located in Building 5 of Government Complex Sejong, with Minister Park Hong-keun, representatives of local Sejong bookstores, local authors and ministry staff in attendance.

The name Seodamjae — chosen through an internal staff competition — means "a space where books and stories linger." Rather than functioning as a conventional library focused on storing and lending books, the space is designed as an open cultural hub where staff can connect and unwind through reading. To reflect the expansion of e-book services, the ministry reduced traditional shelf space and created a book-cafe-style lounge in its place.

At the ceremony, the ministry signed MOUs with two Sejong bookstores — Kkume Mungo Dubeonjjae Iyagi and Chaekbang-e-it. The ministry said it pursued the partnerships to support local small businesses and to incorporate the bookstores' curated selections into the library's operations.

Under the agreements, the library will feature a dedicated corner called "a bookstore in one shelf," where the partner bookstores will each month select a new theme, curate recommended titles and provide reviews and commentary. Staff book requests will also be purchased through the local bookstores, deepening ties with the local retail community.

A book concert followed the opening ceremony, with Sejong-born novelist Kim I-seol delivering a talk on the theme of "reading novels as a way to reflect on life." The ministry said it plans to hold regular author meet-and-greet events and small cultural programs to develop Seodamjae into a space that grows alongside the local cultural community.

"Local bookstores are the roots of the cultural ecosystem and a hub of residents' everyday cultural life," Park said. "I hope Seodamjae will embrace the cultural diversity that small local bookstores have long preserved and become an open cultural space that connects people and communities through books." He added that the ministry would actively support the library as a place where staff can rest and grow.