Located within the National Maritime Museum of Korea, the Maritime Library is a specialized library that systematically collects and preserves resources across various maritime fields, including history, culture, and maritime territory. It holds approximately 57,000 items, including print and electronic resources as well as research materials.

The library includes a separate children’s maritime library, delivering more user-focused spaces and services. Visitors can enjoy reading and relaxation in a comfortable environment with panoramic ocean views.

With a focus on in-library use, the library supports the specialized use and long-term preservation of its collections. It also expands access to specialized knowledge and information while providing a wide range of services, enhancing public accessibility and contributing to its social role.

The Paju Munsan Library is a regional hub library serving northern Paju. First opened in 1994, it was relocated and expanded in September 2025, and now operates in its current form.

The library holds a collection of approximately 110,000 volumes and is designed based on universal design, with all spaces connected by ramps, ensuring accessibility for all users.

It offers peace-themed programs reflecting local identity and community partnerships, while providing advanced reading environments and services integrating AI and ICT. Through these efforts, the library serves as a central hub for knowledge, culture, and community engagement, supporting the development of the local community.

Located in Gwanggyo, Suwon, within the Gyeonggi Convergence Town, Gyeonggi Library serves as the central library of Gyeonggi-do, embodying a future-oriented vision that reflects contemporary values such as climate and environment, artificial intelligence, and human-centered services.

Moving beyond the traditional roles of collection storage and lending, the library functions as a cultural space for community engagement and exchange. Its spatial design supports a seamless flow from reading to discussion and creative activities. Through curated collections on themes such as climate and coexistence, as well as multilingual resources, the library reaches a wider range of users while offering creative spaces including studios and workshops.

The library also promotes intergenerational learning and exchange by supporting children’s creative activities, empowering youth, and encouraging older adults to share their experiences. Accessibility has been enhanced through features such as barrier-free self-service borrowing and return systems, improving user convenience.

Rather than serving merely as a space for individual use, the library functions as a public service infrastructure for the community. By incorporating user feedback, it provides a sustainable knowledge and cultural environment while fulfilling its role as a public institution in reducing information gaps and promoting balanced regional development.

• Mission

To collect knowledge and information from around the world and provide it to the National Assembly and the public, thereby contributing to the development of parliamentary democracy and improving quality of life, while preserving humanity’s intellectual and cultural heritage for future generations.

• Vision

To become a world-leading parliamentary library providing the highest level of services to the National Assembly and the public.

The National Assembly Library of Korea is a premier national library that has contributed to the development of parliamentary democracy and the improvement of quality of life in Korea by providing reliable knowledge and information.

Since its opening in 1952, the library has built a collection of approximately 8.9 million items and a digital library with over 440 million pages of full-text data. It supports the legislative and policy-making activities of the National Assembly while also facilitating the sharing and dissemination of knowledge through public information services accessible to all.

The National Library for Children and Young Adults is Korea’s national library for children and young adults, opened on June 28, 2006.

The library holds a collection of approximately 850,000 items of domestic and international materials for children and young adults. In addition to offering a wide range of reading and cultural programs, it provides information services for picture book authors and researchers.

To promote reading among children and young adults, the library develops and distributes a variety of programs and content, including technology-integrated content and multilingual storytelling resources, helping to reduce regional disparities in reading and cultural services and broaden access to reading opportunities.

It also conducts policy research to support the development of children’s and young adult library services, while actively engaging in exchanges with libraries both in Korea and abroad, serving as a central institution in the advancement of library services.

The National Library of Korea is the national library of the Republic of Korea, opened on October 15, 1945, shortly after Korea’s liberation.

Under the legal deposit system set out in the Library Act, the library has collected all publications issued in Korea since 1965, preserving the nation’s cultural heritage. Located on Banpo-daero in Seocho-gu, Seoul, the main building was constructed in 1988, and the library’s collection surpassed 15 million volumes in 2025.

To provide more specialized services and expand public access to knowledge, the library established branch libraries, including the National Library for Children and Young Adults in 2006 and the National Library of Sejong in 2013.

Established in 1977 on the former site of Gyeonggi High School, the Jeongdok Public Library is a central public library of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, set in an environment where nature and history are thoughtfully preserved.

The library holds a collection of approximately 500,000 items, including domestic and international books, non-print materials, periodicals, and genealogical records, as well as around 18,000 educational archival items. In 2025, it expanded its specialized services with the opening of the Nobel Literature Lounge, a dedicated space showcasing works by Nobel Prize in Literature laureates.

It also offers a wide range of programs that engage the public, including humanities programs drawing on the historical and cultural resources of Bukchon*, the outdoor library “Book Garden,” and participatory events such as the “Family Book Festival.”
(*Bukchon means “Traditional North Village,” the historic neighborhood where the library is located.)

The library building, designated as a cultural heritage site, together with its seasonal lawn garden, provides visitors with a unique environment for reading and learning. Jeongdok Public Library serves as both a place of rest in the heart of the city and a lifelong learning hub.

As the leading public library of Seoul, the Seoul Metropolitan Library has, since its opening in 2012, developed inclusive library policies under the vision of a “Library for Growth and Inclusion,” ensuring access for all citizens at any time and in any place. In particular, it has introduced the world’s first “Outdoor Library” concept, turning major civic spaces—including Seoul Plaza, Gwanghwamun Square, and Cheonggyecheon Stream—into open-air reading environments, creating an innovative public reading culture infrastructure.

Located in the heart of Seoul, the library is surrounded by a rich cultural landscape and major tourist attractions. Housed in the historic former Seoul City Hall building, it preserves its original architectural features and stands as a modern cultural heritage site, offering a unique experience where historical symbolism and contemporary library services coexist.

Visitors can also experience the Outdoor Library sites firsthand. (Subject to cancellation in case of rain.)

Namsan High School Library, Chaekmaru, was transformed in 2024 through a school space innovation project into a multi-purpose cultural space that goes beyond a traditional reading room.

Its open layout, with wall-to-wall shelving, creates an immersive reading environment while encouraging interaction between teachers and students as well as among students. Soft, natural lighting further enhances the welcoming atmosphere.

A flexible stage area supports a variety of events, including student-led book concerts and humanities talks. Cozy group seating areas also provide a space where students can exchange ideas and foster creativity through discussion.

Located in a scenic setting near Beomeosa Temple, Chaekmaru provides a welcoming environment for relaxation.

Gangdong Elementary School Library, Byeolparang, was newly renovated in 2025 after being selected for the “Byeolbit Library” initiative, part of the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education’s education innovation program.

Managed by a teacher librarian, the library combines library services with reading education within a uniquely designed space tailored to a diverse school community. The library is organized into learning, collection, and user spaces, each supporting different aspects of learning and engagement.

The study area serves as a flexible space for classes led by teacher librarians and classroom teachers, as well as for various reading and cultural programs such as author talks. Meanwhile, the user area provides a variety of reading tables for students and parents, with tablet PCs installed at each table for accessing library resources and viewing e-books.