Songpa-gu signed an MOU with the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation on Monday to open the National Sports Museum Library to the public, with book lending and reading services available starting Thursday.
The National Sports Museum Library inside Seoul's Olympic Park is set to open as a public cultural space for local residents.
Songpa-gu announced that it signed an MOU with the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation on Monday and will fully open the National Sports Museum Library to residents starting Thursday, when the museum officially launches.
The agreement aims to expand the specialized library — built as part of the Olympic Sports Complex development project — into an open space where residents can freely access its collections, broadening both reading access and cultural opportunities for the community.
Under the MOU, the two organizations agreed to open book lending and reading services to residents, expand general interest and sports-specific collections to meet community needs, and establish a framework for administrative consultation and mutual cooperation to ensure the library's sustainable operation.
The National Sports Museum Library occupies the first and second floors of the National Sports Museum, covering a total floor area of 985 square meters. It will welcome residents when the museum officially opens Thursday.
On the first floor, the reading room holds a wide range of materials — sports reference books, general nonfiction, magazines and more. The second floor archive serves as an academic and exhibition space displaying specialized materials related to the Olympics and sports history.
Under the agreement, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation will expand its general interest collection based on resident demand, while Songpa-gu will provide administrative consultation, promotional support and other assistance to help the library operate effectively.
Seoul residents, as well as people employed at or enrolled in schools located in Seoul, are eligible for library membership. Members may borrow up to three books at a time for a lending period of 15 days, including the day of checkout. The library is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is closed every Monday, as well as on Jan. 1 and on chuseok and seollal.
Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok said he was pleased that the agreement would lower the barrier to a specialized library and bring an open reading culture into residents' daily lives. "We will continue to work with related organizations to improve reading convenience for our residents and expand the local library infrastructure," he said.
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