Owners of Cheonghaek Seorim, Yeongdong Mungo among recipients; novelist Eun Hee-kyung named Author of the Year

The poster for the 10th Bookstore Day celebration. [Korea Booksellers Association]
The poster for the 10th Bookstore Day celebration. [Korea Booksellers Association]

Seven people who have contributed to the development of bookstore culture in South Korea will receive commendations on Bookstore Day.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday it will present ministerial commendations to seven honorees at the 10th Bookstore Day ceremony, organized by the Korea Booksellers Association and held that afternoon at the Seoul Museum of History in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

This year's commendations will be awarded across three categories: promoting bookstores and book retail distribution, revitalizing local cultural hubs, and supporting policies to strengthen local bookstores.

In the bookstore and book retail promotion category, Kwon Sun-ho, owner of Yeongdong Mungo in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, will be recognized for more than four decades of service to the local bookstore and reading culture. Lee Jeong-eun, head of the National Neighborhood Bookstore Network secretariat and representative of Baljeonso Bookstore 5 Cooperative, will also receive a commendation for fostering exchange and cooperation among independent bookstores nationwide.

In the local cultural hub category, three bookstores were selected: Cheonghaek Seorim, a second-generation family bookstore in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, recognized for connecting with local residents through the Culture Ministry's "Life Reading × Life Bookstore" program; Kua, a science and technology specialty bookstore in Daejeon; and Dalli Bookstore in Jeju, honored for nurturing a grassroots reading culture.

In the local bookstore policy support category, Lee Han-byeol, a library policy official at the Cheonan City Library Headquarters in South Chungcheong Province, and Jang Bok-rye, a librarian at Seongnam Central Library in Gyeonggi Province, will receive commendations.

The Korea Booksellers Association's Bookseller of the Year award will go to Jeon Gyeong-ja, owner of Imae Mungo in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and Moon Seon-mi, owner of Kokkiri Bookstore.

Lee Jae-jeong, chair of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, who led the revision of the Publishing and Print Industry Promotion Act, will receive a certificate of appreciation. Seon Guk-gyu, owner of Gyeonggi Seojeok's Homaesil branch, will be presented with a merit award.

The ceremony will also include the presentation of the Book of the Year and Author of the Year awards, chosen directly by booksellers across the country. Novelist Eun Hee-kyung was named Author of the Year.

Following the ceremony, a results-sharing forum will be held for the 2026 regional flagship bookstore cultural activity program. The event will showcase outcomes from approximately 2,900 reading culture programs run at 340 bookstores nationwide through two new initiatives the ministry launched this year: "Life Reading × Life Bookstore" and "Culture Wednesday × Late-Night Bookstore."

The ministry has been expanding its support to help local bookstores establish themselves as cultural hubs in their communities. The budget for local bookstore support grew from 2.6 billion won ($1.92 million) last year to 7.5 billion won this year, and the government's budget proposal for next year allocates 13.8 billion won — an 84 percent increase from this year.

First Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Yeong-su said bookstores are "precious spaces that connect books with people and bring local culture to life," adding that the ministry will continue to support local bookstores so they can grow into sustainable cultural hubs.

A Korea Booksellers Association official said that over the past decade, booksellers across the country have preserved local reading culture despite difficult conditions, and pledged to keep gathering voices from the field to build a foundation for practical policy support.


pink@heraldcorp.com