'Happiest Forest of Books' runs Sept. 11–13 at Odong Neighborhood Park, featuring a pop-up library of more than 1,500 books in partnership with the Finnish Embassy in Seoul and Moomin Characters
Seoul's Seongbuk-gu and the Seongbuk Cultural Foundation will host "Happiest Forest of Books" from Sept. 11 to 13 at the Mulbit Garden area of Odong Neighborhood Park to mark National Reading Month in September.
Organized in partnership with the Finnish Embassy in Seoul and Moomin Characters, the event will bring together books, nature and Finnish culture in a special outdoor library setting.
The theme is "WOOD & FOOD & BOOK — A Finnish Book Culture Journey Into the Forest." The Mulbit Garden area will stock more than 1,000 titles — including Moomin picture books and popular reads — while the streamside rest area will offer around 500 books covering Finnish literature, wellness titles and large-print editions, allowing visitors to read freely in the open air.
On Sept. 12, the main program day, Finnish Ambassador to South Korea Jyri Järviaho will take part in a bilingual picture-book storytelling session beginning at 6 p.m., presenting stories in both Finnish and Korean. A forest concert will follow, featuring Finnish folk music, Korean traditional music and animation soundtracks reimagined as fusion gugak, adding to the atmosphere of an autumn evening among trees and water.
Weekend programming will include a range of hands-on activities for the whole family. Visitors will receive a "visitor's passport" and ticket at the entrance, then collect stamps as they explore the venue; those who complete the stamp trail can sample Finnish food and beverages.
Alongside this, the event will offer workshops on making acorn planters from coffee capsules, Moomin coloring and personality tests, Finnish forest fragrance sampling and hand-knitted bookmark making.
The event runs from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. each day and is open to all. Schedules for individual programs and advance registration details are available on the Seongbuk District Library website.
"We have prepared an experience where families can discover Finnish culture through books amid the natural surroundings of Odong Forest," Seongbuk-gu District Mayor Lee Seung-ro said. "We hope everyone enjoys a special book-culture journey with Moomin during September's reading month."
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