On a hot mid-August day, I stopped at my local public library and noticed a sign at the entrance offering free bottles of cold water. It stated that the program was run through a collaboration between the Rhode Island state government, public libraries and local businesses. On the way out, I thought about public libraries in South Korea because I had given a lecture in late May at the recently remodeled Jjokgureum Public Library in suburban Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. Like my neighborhood library, that library felt like a beloved community space.

While living in Seoul in the 2010s, I remember reading news about the opening of some interesting new libraries. Hanok-style libraries, such as the Geulmaru Hanok Children’s Library in Guro-gu and the Cheongun Literature Library in Jongno-gu built on the “hanok boom” at the time. The Seoul Metropolitan Library opened in the old City Hall building, and the Gusan-dong Library Village in Eunpyeong-gu, which was created by converting several multi-family buildings in response to requests from the local community, attracted attention.

Looking back, the 2010s were the decade that shaped Seoul’s globally recognized image. Seoul had already attracted attention in the 2000s because of the Hallyu boom, but the K-pop boom of the 2010s was on a different scale. With the rise of social media in the 2010s, images and information about Seoul spread across the world. At the same time, a growing interest in lifestyle led to a rapid diversification in patterns of consumption. The changes of the 2010s also influenced how people viewed libraries.

During the period of rapid economic growth and urbanization beginning in the 1960s, Seoul’s population surged, and for generations of students who pursued success through exam-centric education, public libraries served mainly as places for serious study, giving them a utilitarian image.

As South Korea entered the 1990s, its population growth slowed, and with democratization and economic development, the country joined the ranks of advanced nations. Living standards continued to improve throughout the 2000s, allowing students to study in their homes or in private academies, which reduced the popularity of libraries as places to study. With the rapid rise of the internet and e-books in the 2000s, pundits, not only in Korea but across many advanced countries, predicted that public libraries would soon lose their relevance.

That did not happen. In response to the “lifestyle boom” in the 2010s, people began to view the city as a stage for their activities, and their expectations for public spaces changed. As part of urban regeneration efforts of the 2010s, interest in and demand for usable public spaces grew. With the diversification of activities, there emerged a need for venues to host cultural events and gatherings. Libraries jumped in to fill this need. For example, the Gwangtan Public Library in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, which opened in 2022, defines itself as a “multipurpose cultural space.”

Starting in the 2010s, investment in public libraries began to grow. In the 2020s, 40 new libraries have opened in Seoul alone. Many of the new libraries have been built in residential areas that had previously lacked them. For example, the Forest Library in Baebongsan Neighborhood Park in Dongdaemun-gu, which opened in 2019, has developed strong ties with residents. The Yeonhwajeong Public Library, perhaps the grandest hanok-style library in the country, opened in Jeonju in 2022.

Older institutions in Seoul, such as the Doksan Public Library in Geumcheon-gu and the Dongjak Public Library, have recently been reborn with stylish renovations. Many long-established libraries across the country have been remodeled into open, welcoming spaces.

What lies ahead? The artificial intelligence boom is having a profound impact on how information is produced and consumed. It is hard to predict what will become of the paper books lining library shelves. Yet, for all the enthusiasm for technology, many people still believe that paper books are the only “real” books. They are the ultimate analog technology, free from digital tampering. In that sense, public libraries may gain a new function as repositories of “human-generated knowledge.”

As South Korea’s population has aged, older generations are rediscovering libraries. People forced into retirement in their 50s have turned to libraries as a quiet place to prepare for second careers, while others enjoy the cultural offerings and sense of community that libraries offer.

This summer, 190 public libraries across Seoul organized the “Libraries Are Cool” project to invite people in from the heat to enjoy books and cultural events. As the 2020s deepen, public libraries in South Korea have emerged as one of the country’s most inventive public goods.

Robert J. Fouser

Robert J. Fouser, a former associate professor of Korean language education at Seoul National University, writes on Korea from Providence, Rhode Island. He can be reached at robertjfouser@gmail.com. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. — Ed.

khnews@heraldcorp.com