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What a novel idea: 'Bookstore village' has readers flocking to commune with the written word

Published: 06 May. 2026, 07:00

A man reads a book in the 'bookstore village' in Gochang County, North Jeolla. [CHOI SEUNG-PYO]

What if the cure for not reading was not another resolution but a trip?

In Gochang County, North Jeolla, visitors are checking into bookstores, wandering through a village built by independent booksellers and sleeping beside shelves stacked with stories. Designated a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, the rural county is quietly reinventing itself as a “book stay” destination where reading becomes less of an activity and more of an experience.

At its heart is Korea’s first "bookstore village," the Gochang Bookstore Village, created by six independent bookstores. The village, which opened in October of last year, began with Lee Yun-ho, a former culture critic who left Seoul in search of a quieter place to open a bookstore.

Lee then met Kang Jun-seok and Hwang Kyeong-sun, a married couple who run Mangrove, a bookstore dedicated to nature and environmental books through a humanities group.

The couple offered Lee their unused land in Gochang, leading six like-minded individuals and families to come together in 2023 to begin building a book village.

The group, whose members previously worked in fields such as educational picture books and fashion planning, drew on their interests and backgrounds to open six shops themed around philosophy, ecology, travel, picture books, graphic novels and the poet Yun Dong-ju (1917-1945).

Spread across about 20,000 square meters (5 acres), the village features nine colorful wooden buildings housing bookstores and residences, as well as small gardens.

The six stores operate more like a community than competitors. Shop owners said they take turns watching each other’s stores, farm together and share meals in a communal kitchen.

The creators of the "bookstore village" in Gochang County, North Jeolla [CHOI SEUNG-PYO]

Despite the lack of major tourist attractions nearby, the village continues to draw steady crowds. About 200 visitors arrive on weekends, most staying for one to two hours to browse the village.

“A soldier on leave stayed for about two hours and bought books worth 300,000 won [$200],” Lee said. “The soldier told me they studied philosophy and said they never imagined a philosophy bookstore would open in their hometown. That experience felt truly rewarding.”

The village offers more than books. It also runs a cafe that hosts author talks. The village also offers a monthly subscription service that delivers care packages filled with locally grown vegetables and books for a monthly fee of 20,000 won. Three of the bookstores also provide lodging, allowing visitors to read late into the night in shops that remain unlocked.

The village plans to stay open every day until October 2028. The village does not dream big; it only wants to meet lots of book lovers who visit the town.

“I only sell books I have read,” one shop owner said. “Talking about books with visitors is what I enjoy most.”

A woman picks out a book in the "bookstore village" in Gochang County, North Jeolla. [CHOI SEUNG-PYO]

Another literary stop lies in Haeri-myeon, Gochang County, on the western slopes of Mount Seonun. Book Village Harry, created by Lee Dae-geon, the head of the village who used to be a book editor, transformed a closed elementary school into a cultural space with a library, bookstore, gallery and accommodations.

What began in 2012 as a small publishing camp offering short programs for students to create books has grown into a sprawling complex. Lee built the Forest of Book Time library with 30,000 donated books, followed by a tree house library themed around peace and an owl-shaped library. The collection has since grown to about 200,000 volumes.

“I feel happiest when children, who are more familiar with digital devices, become curious about books and experience a sense of freedom here,” the Book Village Harry creator said.

The village has also worked with older residents, many of whom spent their lives farming, to teach them writing and illustration, resulting in the publication of several picture books. Poems and drawings created by residents are displayed throughout the grounds.

An owl-shaped library in Book Village Harry, Gochang County, North Jeolla [CHOI SEUNG-PYO]

A two-line poem by the late Kim Gwi-rye, a woman who died in 2024 at the age of 89, reads: “What flower do I like? All flowers are good.”

Further north in Seonun-ri, Buan-myeon, lies the hometown of Seo Jeong-ju (1915-2000), one of the most prominent figures in modern Korean poetry. His birthplace, grave and the Midangsi Museum of Literature are located together.

Opened in 2001, the museum houses around 4,000 items related to the poet. Visitors can climb to the top of a six-story observatory designed by architect Kim Won. A panoramic view unfolds: Mount Soyo, glowing with fresh greenery, Jilmajae Hill, once crossed by the poet and the Yellow Sea, where croaker fish dart through the waters.

An exhibition marking the 70th anniversary of “Selected Poems of Seo Jeong-ju” is currently running.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHOI SEUNG-PYO [[email protected]]