Social book gatherings with electronic music strike a chord with Koreans seeking low-key connections
Participants read books while listening to low-tempo electronic music during Reading City, co-organized by electronic music event planner Undercity and book club Trevari, in the basement of a building in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, on Aug. 26. (Undercity)
Walking down to the basement of a building in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong, the hallway hummed with the pulse of bass beats and the warm, low-toned sound of a synthesizer.
A strip of red light spilled from behind the curtain, and as it was pulled open, the music swelled and the room glowed crimson, filled with the scent of woody perfume.
The space looked ready for a late-night party, but the atmosphere was more sedate: Reading City is an experiment in combining the trend for silent reading clubs with music. Guests settled silently into sofa chairs, holding books, not glasses, each slipping into a world of their own. No chatting, not mingling, simply reading.
Min Sun-jung brought Haruki Murakami’s essay collection “The Feeling of Vegetables, The Kiss of a Leopard Seal,” a strategic choice in case the new environment made it hard for her to focus on reading.
Min reads Haruki Murakami’s essay collection “The Feeling of Vegetables, The Kiss of a Leopard Seal” during Reading City. (Choi Jae-hee / The Korea Herald)
“I usually read in quiet places without music and so I was curious what it would be like to read with electronic music,” Kim, in her 40s, shared with The Korea Herald. To her surprise, she added, she was able to concentrate better than expected.
Min was one of 70 participants in Reading City, a communal reading event with no discussions, no social mingling but just the simple pleasure of reading alongside others in a shared space, with music — a mix of ambient, downtempo and deep house — that blended into the background.
Co-hosted by local content organizer Undercity and book club Trevari, the seven-hour event held on Aug. 26 ran from 4 p.m., divided into two sessions. The program cost 39,000 won ($29) per person and included one complimentary drink. The final hour and a half featured a live DJ playing faster, melodic tracks, with a more music-focused atmosphere.
“Some people stood in front of the DJ, dancing to the beat and enjoying the music, while others just kept reading, not bothered by the DJ,” said Kim Yanu, an Undercity official, who took part in organizing the program.
Park Dong-ae, another participant in her 30s, said, “Reading doesn’t have to happen only in a library or at home, and electronic music isn’t just for late-night clubs. This kind of event shows how both can be enjoyed more lightly and casually.”
“Mixing books with other cultural genres can make reading feel more approachable to those who usually shy away from it.”
Park reads while drinking a glass of wine served as a welcome drink at Reading City. (Choi Jae-hee / The Korea Herald)
Strangers gather to read together, with no strict schedules, no mandatory discussions. This fresh alternative to traditional book clubs is becoming increasingly popular among today’s Koreans.
“I love reading, but when I’m in a book club, both the reading and the relationships with members often get too serious,” said a 27-year-old participant surnamed Kim.
“I’ve joined clubs where you had to finish a book by a deadline, pay a fine if you didn’t, and then give a speech about it. It felt more like work than enjoyment. An event like this, where you read on your own and chat briefly about books if you want, is just right for me.”
Reading, being surrounded by fellow book lovers, brings a unique comfort, others said.
Shin, 29, who described herself as introverted, said, “I like that I can focus on my own book without the pressure to talk to others, while enjoying the calm atmosphere of everyone reading together.”
“At work or when I spend time with my usual friends, I rarely meet people who share reading as a hobby. Just being in the same space with them gives me a sense of psychological comfort.”
Passengers quietly read together inside a New York subway car. (Instagram @reading_rhythms) 
In downtown New York, dozens gather between high-rise buildings to read together. (Instagram @reading_rhythms)
The trend of combining music with reading alongside strangers has already taken off overseas.
Reading Rhythms, a popular reading group in New York, gathers in unconventional venues such as Brooklyn craft breweries or subway cars, where members read silently to curated music, briefly exchange reflections, and then return to quiet reading.
Launched in 2023 by Ben Bradbury, the group branded itself as a “reading party, not a book club.” In just two years, it has expanded to more than 20 cities worldwide, including in Italy, Sweden and Brazil, hosting over 320 events, according to news reports.
cjh@heraldcorp.com