Seoul's outdoor library draws 10 million visitors over five years

Seoul's outdoor library, where residents can read and relax in the heart of the city, has drawn more than 10 million cumulative visitors in the five years since it opened. The Seoul Outdoor Library wrapped up this year's season and entered its winter break, with plans to reopen in April next year.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Sunday that the library closed for the season Saturday and has begun its winter hiatus.

The Seoul Outdoor Library is an open-air reading and leisure space designed to let any resident enjoy books and relaxation in the city center. It launched at Seoul Plaza in 2022 and has since expanded to Gwanghwamun Square and Cheonggyecheon.

About 1.87 million people visited the library's three main locations — Seoul Plaza, Gwanghwamun Square and Cheonggyecheon — this year. Including district-level and pop-up outdoor library sites, cumulative visitors since the 2022 opening have surpassed 10 million.

User satisfaction has been consistently high. A survey of 5,155 visitors across the three sites this year found an overall satisfaction rate of 97 percent. The share of respondents who said they intended to return stood at 97.4 percent, while 97.8 percent said they would recommend the library to others.

Notably, 90.3 percent of respondents said they actually read a book during their visit. "It has become more than just a place to rest — citizens are actively engaging in reading," a Seoul Metropolitan Government official said. "During last month's National Foundation Day and Hangul Day holiday periods, many people were clearly enjoying the outdoor library."

Through its "Seoul Pop-Up Outdoor Library" project, the city has extended outdoor reading spaces to daycare centers, kindergartens, schools and cultural facilities. As of late last month, the city had lent book kits — containing books and camping chairs — to 269 institutions to support their own outdoor library operations.

A citizen-led reading club called "Hip-dok Club" also recruited 10,000 members. The library ran a range of reading programs, including "Chapter Puzzle Reading," in which participants explore a book by reading selected passages, and "I Want to Know That Book," which offers expert-guided discussions.

This year's Seoul Outdoor Library opened April 23 and operated in two seasons: spring (April through June) and fall (September through November). Next year's edition is scheduled to open again in April.

"Foreign media have spotlighted the Seoul Outdoor Library as a new model for reading culture," a city official said. "We are sharing our operational experience through international events and partnerships with overseas cities, spreading Seoul's outdoor reading culture both at home and abroad."

Min Su-hong, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Culture Bureau, said the 10 million cumulative visitors since the 2022 opening shows the library has established itself as an everyday reading space in citizens' lives. "Going forward, we will continue to develop diverse spaces and programs so that anyone can relax with a book nearby and share the joy of reading," Min said.