As children settle into summer vacation, Seodaemun-gu is giving them a reason to put down their phones and pick up a book. Amid growing concern over children's dependence on short-form content, the district is rolling out a series of reading programs that blend books, play and hands-on activities to help young residents build healthy reading habits.
Seodaemun-gu, led by district mayor Park Woon-ki, announced that Haedamneun Library — located on the second and third floors of the Bukgajwa 2-dong community complex — will run special programs throughout August to mark its first anniversary. Events include a meet-the-author session for "Short-Form Hell," an upcycling pop-up book workshop and a picture-book curation series, all designed for visitors of all ages.
Haedamneun Library opened last year and quickly established itself as a cultural hub in residents' daily lives. Since opening, it has logged 76,394 cumulative visitors, 19,306 borrowers and 55,266 items checked out.
The library has operated as more than a place to borrow books, positioning itself as a space where children and parents learn together and residents enjoy culture in their everyday lives. Its monthly family reading-and-play program, Haedamsseudam, has drawn strong interest each time registration opens and has become the library's signature offering. An AI humanities program has also gained traction as a lifelong-learning course aimed at strengthening residents' digital literacy in a rapidly changing technological environment.
The library has also consistently run a picture-book read-aloud program for infants and caregivers in partnership with a maternal and child health center, and has established age-specific reading clubs for children from preschool through high school, spreading a reading culture in which children and families grow together. Resident-led reading circles covering Korean literature, transcription, book reviews and classical literature are also active.
Among the first-anniversary special programs, the most anticipated event is a meeting with Sin Eun-yeong, author of "Short-Form Hell," scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 2.
Open to 15 students in grades three through six, the session will use the book as a springboard for role-playing and paper games, guiding children to naturally learn how to regulate their own short-form content consumption and develop healthier media habits.
From Aug. 3 to Aug. 5, the library will hold an upcycling pop-up book workshop in which participants transform books they no longer read into their own three-dimensional creations. The program pairs reading with environmental awareness by giving discarded books new value. The Aug. 3 session is for first- and second-grade elementary students, Aug. 4 for third- and fourth-graders, and Aug. 5 for adults.
Throughout August, the library's children's materials room will also run a picture-book curation under the theme "Special Days, Special Stories," introducing a selection of picture books centered on birthdays to give children and parents time to read and talk together.
All programs are free of charge, and registration is available through the Seodaemun District Public Library website.
The library plans to expand its reading culture services further as it enters its second year. Starting in September, it will launch a mobile picture-book service for daycare centers in the district and introduce a new library tour program for groups of 10 or more, helping more residents make books a part of their daily lives.
"A library should be more than a place to borrow books — it should be a living cultural space where children develop the ability to think for themselves and families learn and connect together," district mayor Park said. "We will give children the experience of finding books more enjoyable than short-form content, and build a Seodaemun that is a great place to raise children — one where reading becomes a natural part of everyday life."
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