"To revitalize the regional economy and the publishing market, please find a way to grant the supply rights for delivering books to public libraries and school libraries to local bookstores, rather than leaving them to (non-bookstore) operators. I have already mentioned this several times, but measures have yet to be produced." (President Lee Jae-myung, remarks at a Cabinet meeting on April 14)
On April 30, a roundtable on revitalizing local bookstore book purchases by public institutions was held, chaired by Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young. Officials from local bookstores and libraries attended and held heated discussions with the minister. The meeting was aimed at implementing President Lee Jae-myung's "directive" above. President Lee's dissatisfaction stems from the fact that "non-bookstore operators" have been dominating book supplies to public and school libraries, while qualified local bookstores have been excluded.
At the roundtable, Minister Choi said, "We will create a structure in which qualified local bookstores share the volume of public supply contracts," presenting a rough guideline. However, as discussions continued, it became clear that this would not be easy. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it had previously held multiple discussions with the bookstore industry, and the roundtable was opened to the press with the understanding that matters had been largely organized. Yet, it became apparent that deliberations were still "in progress."
Asked about firmly establishing local bookstores' supply rights to libraries, Minister Choi said, "There are two stages in institutionalizing this. First, there will be supply volumes for schools and public libraries, and we can create a structure in which local bookstores share the supply rights. However, it is necessary to identify what constitutes a genuine 'local bookstore.'" He added, "The government can resolve the issue of distribution between libraries and bookstores, but the selection of local bookstores eligible for distribution must be resolved by the industry itself."
According to the ministry, one option is to bundle library supply volumes together and divide them equally by the number of participants, while another is to assign rotating order through negotiated contracts. These are matters that administrative bodies can sufficiently resolve through institutional design.
The problem is how to determine which local bookstores will receive the supply rights. Currently, paper companies and simple distributors — those "unrelated to books" — have been reaping profits from library supplies.
Minister Choi explained, "There is a method in which the government or an organization steps in to certify bookstores, and there is also a method in which bookstores themselves form a group based on the principle that 'we know among ourselves who is genuine.'" However, regarding the universal application of the cooperative model that President Lee had previously mentioned as one example, he expressed a cautious stance, saying, "Closed-off tendencies could emerge, complaints could arise that 'someone is being excluded,' and there are differences across regions."
Sun Kook-kyu, secretary general of the Korea Bookstore Association, said at the meeting, "The president's remarks are welcome," adding, "Please view bookstores as spaces where those living in local communities can imagine their future."
