Record high since program's launch; 88 newly certified this year

Certified workplaces to receive 500,000 won in book-purchase support

A book cafe at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power. [Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]
A book cafe at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power. [Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Publishing Industry Promotion Agency certified 305 companies and institutions as "2026 Reading-Friendly Workplaces" for fostering a reading culture through their management practices, the ministry announced Thursday.

The Reading-Friendly Workplace certification program, introduced in 2014, recognizes companies and institutions that actively promote reading environments to help spread a reading culture in their communities. Starting with 20 certified workplaces in 2014, the program grew steadily — reaching 206 in 2023, 252 in 2024 and 277 last year — before surpassing 300 for the first time this year, setting an all-time record.

Of this year's certified workplaces, 88 received certification for the first time, while 124 maintained existing certifications and 93 were recertified.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power took the grand prize, which carries the Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister's Award. The company has run a reading education program called "Book Learning" for all employees for 12 consecutive years, with 95 percent of its workforce participating last year.

Five organizations received the excellence award: Nepes, Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs (TIPA), Cheongju Welfare Foundation, Kolmar Holdings and Techville Education.

Ten organizations received the merit award: South Gyeongsang Province Credit Guarantee Foundation, Kyungnam Energy, the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy, Dioni, Visang Education, Jeju Free International City Development Center, Com2uS, Tanabe Pharma Korea, Korea East-West Power and Korea Minting and Security Printing.

Eleven organizations, including Zenith Hospital, Korea Southern Power and Nowon-gu Office, received commendation plaques.

All certified workplaces will receive 500,000 won ($377) in book-purchase support. Additional programs — including traveling book concerts, reading management consulting, book club operating funds and practitioner networking sessions — are also planned.

Choi Seong-hui, director general for content industry policy at the Culture Ministry, said the ministry would "continue to seek diverse support measures so that workplace efforts to promote reading management can be sustained and spread to more workplaces."


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