Korea’s Largest Reading, Publishing, and Cultural Festival
Main Event to Be Held Next September at Jeong Yak-yong Library and Historic Sites
“Jeongdok, Jilseo, and Choseo” Reading Methods Reinterpreted for Modern Times
Year-Round Programs at 13 Public Libraries
Namyangju City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Choi Hyun-deok) has been officially selected as the final host of the 2027 Korea Reading Festival, the nation’s largest reading, publishing, and cultural event.
Exterior view of Jeong Yak-yong Library. Provided by Namyangju City
The Korea Reading Festival is a major national event dedicated to spreading reading culture, rotating annually among local governments throughout Korea. The 2027 festival marks its 14th edition.
Namyangju City will officially receive the tournament flag as the next host at the main ceremony of the 2026 Korea Reading Festival, which will be held in Chuncheon City on September 18, and will begin full-scale preparations.
The official slogan for the 2027 event is “Embracing Wisdom for Tomorrow in Jeong Yak-yong’s Study.” The city plans to offer a unique festival that embodies the philosophy and reading spirit of Jeong Yak-yong—a historical figure representing Namyangju—throughout the overall event, thereby highlighting the region’s identity.
In particular, the city will operate programs that reinterpret Jeong Yak-yong’s three main reading methods in a modern way: Jeongdok (reading thoroughly and deeply), Jilseo (reading while recording thoughts and questions), and Choseo (reading by copying meaningful passages). The goal is to expand a reading culture that not only involves reading books but also thinking, recording, and connecting these insights to life wisdom.
The festival will take place year-round starting January 2027 at Jeong Yak-yong Library and 13 other public libraries. In March of the same year, a “City of Books Declaration Ceremony” will be held to foster a strong atmosphere of civic engagement.
The main event will be held for three days, from September 24 to 26, 2027, at locations including Jeong Yak-yong Library and the Jeong Yak-yong Historic Site, along with other major sites in Namyangju City. The city will organize programs that connect books and people, urban spaces, and create festival venues throughout the city.
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Mayor Choi Hyun-deok stated, “This selection is a meaningful achievement made possible by the library infrastructure we have built and citizens’ deep interest in reading. We will make thorough preparations so that all citizens can encounter books and the humanities in their daily lives, and so Namyangju City can leap forward as Korea’s representative city of the humanities.”
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