Incheon Seo-gu library, Gochang high school win presidential citations for library excellence

The Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education Seo-gu Library and Gochang High School in North Jeolla Province received presidential citations for library excellence.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism selected 58 libraries as outstanding contributors to library operations and services in 2026 and presented the awards Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the 63rd National Library Conference and Exhibition, held at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in South Jeolla Province.

The Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education Seo-gu Library, which received the presidential citation in the public library category, built a regional reading culture by connecting book-reading households, schools and communities through its "Read, Walk, Write" campaign. Over three years, it trained 4,193 citizen authors through creative programs such as a "Library Citizen Author School" and a picture-book author development course. The library also partnered with local government to open Gajaeul Dream Children's Library and established a sustainable information and culture-sharing network linking 598 institutions.

Gochang High School, which received the presidential citation in the school library category, opened a standalone school library and a book cafe called Sungsan Maru through a future-oriented school library space renovation project, transforming a collection-focused space into a multifunctional learning environment where educational activities take place. The school was also recognized for building a community-linked integrated reading model anchored in its school library — helping bridge the rural education gap and strengthen students' future competencies amid concerns over regional depopulation.

Prime ministerial citations in the public library category went to four libraries: Jeonju Municipal Library Kkotshim, Daegu Metropolitan City North Library, Uiwang Central Library and Nonhyeon Library. In the school library category, the citation went to Seoul Sinhyeon Elementary School, and in the military library category, to the Army Comprehensive Administrative School.

Ministerial citations from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism went to 33 libraries: the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Jongno Library, Geomdan Library, Bucheon City Suju Library, South Gyeongsang Province Office of Education Masan Library, Jihye-ui Bada Library, Daegu Metropolitan City West Library, Daehyeon Library, Daejeon Student Education and Culture Center Sanseong Children's Library, Songpa Wiryeo Library, Gumi City Central Library, Jangyu Library, Jeju Tamna Library, Gyeonggi Province Office of Education Hwaseong Library, Gunsan City Library, North Gyeongsang Province Office of Education Seongju Library, Cheongju Miracle Library, Cheongju Ochang Lake Library, Dam Small Library, Busan Metropolitan City Seodong Library, Gangwon Province Office of Education Samcheok Education and Culture Center, Ilgok Library, the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Office of Education Gurye Library, Noeun Library, Dalseo-gu Seongseo Community Welfare Center Dalseo Multicultural Family Small Library, Tanhyeon Small Library, Banrim Small Library, Bong Areum Small Library, the Korea Arts and Culture Education Service arts and culture education specialist library, the Constitutional Court library, the Navy Mobile Fleet Command ROKS Wang Geon, the Army 52nd Infantry Division, the Air Force 20th Fighter Wing, the Navy Education Command Gyeonghwa Library and the Seoul Detention Center library.

Jung Hyang-mi, director general of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Culture and Arts Policy Bureau, said the ministry would share and spread best practices from the award-winning institutions to raise the quality of library services and support the balanced development of libraries so that all citizens, regardless of region or generation, can benefit from them.