The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that the "2026 Republic of Korea City of Books Proclamation Ceremony" will be held at 2 p.m. on January 23 at the Sound Hall of "Sangsang Madang" in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. The ceremony marks the host city for the nation's largest reading culture festival, the "2026 Korea Reading Festival."
The ministry has selected a "City of Books" annually through open competition since 2014 in partnership with the Korea Publishing Culture Industry Promotion Agency. It also supports the hosting of the "Korea Reading Festival," a nationwide reading celebration held during the September Month of Reading.
The proclamation ceremony will begin with a promotional video introducing "Book City Chuncheon," followed by a symbolic flag handover, an appointment ceremony for promotional ambassadors, and a congratulatory performance by the Chuncheon Mime Festival troupe. Broadcaster and author Kim Young-chul, who wrote essays including "I Cried Then Laughed" and "Just Start," will serve as promotional ambassador, bringing the joy of reading to audiences in an approachable manner.
Consecutive readings of sentences built around the keywords "books," "waves," "Chuncheon," and "stroll" will be performed alongside a "wave performance" to herald the hopeful launch of "Book City Chuncheon." An LED media wall allowing visitors to read books against a lake backdrop and a small book market featuring Chuncheon's independent bookstores and book-related products will offer diverse experiences to attendees.
Starting with the proclamation ceremony, Chuncheon will host a range of reading programs throughout the year under the theme "Waves of Books, A Chuncheon Book Stroll." These include experiential activities, lectures, performances, and exhibitions. On World Book Day (April 23), the city will hold "Reading Party in Chuncheon" at Gongjicheon Amusement Park, where 423 readers will gather to read together. Outdoor libraries will operate at the Chuncheon Mime Festival and Nami Island World Book Festival, blending travel with reading programs to spread the joy of books across the city.
The main "2026 Korea Reading Festival" event will run from September 18 to 20, coinciding with the Month of Reading. Details on year-round reading culture events and the main festival are available on the official website.
A ministry policy official said, "We will work throughout the year with local communities, publishers, bookstores, and libraries to spread a culture of reading so that the wave of books starting in Chuncheon can ripple across the nation, encompassing all generations."