Recognition follows first certification in 2016; district receives long-term merit award
Nowon-gu district office employees have earned recognition for fostering creative public administration through reading.
Nowon-gu sits at the northeastern edge of Seoul, but the district has built a reputation for innovative governance thanks to a succession of capable district mayors.
Among them are Kim Sung-hwan, who served during the sixth and seventh elected terms and now serves as minister of climate and environment, and Oh Seung-rok, who led the district through the seventh and eighth terms. Both are credited with contributing significantly to the district's development.
Against that backdrop, Nowon-gu has been named one of South Korea's top workplaces for reading-based management for 11 consecutive years, earning a long-term merit award in the process.
The "Korea Reading Management Excellence Workplace" certification is a program co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Publishing Industry Promotion Agency, and administered by Korea Management Association Consulting (KMAC). It recognizes companies and public institutions that incorporate reading into organizational operations to strengthen communication, creativity and workplace culture.
The district received the long-term merit award — marking 11 consecutive certifications — at the 2026 Korea Reading Management Excellence Workplace ceremony held at the National Library of Korea on Wednesday.
The recognition reflects the district's consistent operation of employee-driven reading programs since its first certification in 2016, as well as its efforts to use reading as a tool for communication and professional development.
The flagship initiative is "Nowon People's Library," an online reading café with 1,293 participating employees. Staff share book reviews and recommendations, exchanging knowledge and experiences on the platform. The district also runs "Reading Clubs," where employees independently organize book discussions and concerts, and "Buddy Reading," a program pairing two employees to read a book together — both designed to encourage interaction and communication among staff.
The district also provides an e-book subscription service so employees can read at any time and place. A "reading study leave" program links reading activities with annual leave, giving employees dedicated time to focus on books and self-development.
To connect reading with professional growth, the district holds education sessions on social change and emerging technologies.
In January, the district invited Choi Ji-hye, author of "Trend Korea," and Kim Deok-jin, author of "AI Trend & Application Encyclopedia," to deliver special lectures on social change and AI. The district has also introduced a generative AI solution called "Nowon GPT" and stocked related books so employees can apply new technologies and knowledge directly to their administrative work.
The district has also cultivated a reading-friendly environment inside the office building. A book café on the first-floor lobby — stocked with about 3,000 volumes and furnished with a 9-meter solid-wood table — is open to both employees and residents. Books are also available in the general resource room and staff lounge, making reading accessible throughout the building.
Nowon-gu is also working to spread a reading culture in the wider community. A multipurpose cultural space called Madeurium Library has been established at the Sanggye 10-dong public complex, and the district hosted the 2026 Nowon Outdoor Library festival along the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail, blending books, performances, films and hands-on activities to give residents more opportunities to enjoy reading culture.
"Eleven consecutive certifications are the result of employees consistently building a culture of communication and growth through books," Nowon-gu District Mayor Seo Jun-o said. "We will continue to promote learning and communication through reading to strengthen employees' expertise, and work to ensure those gains translate into improved administrative services that residents can feel."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
