Reading Korea

Reading Korea is the South Korean government's 2026 nationwide reading campaign, built to push books back into daily life after years of falling reading rates. Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the campaign launched on World Book Day with Gaeul of IVE as a public-facing partner rather than a decorative celebrity add-on.

That distinction matters. Reading Korea is structured as a year-round program, not a one-day press event. The ministry's plan includes reading relays, mini book talks, bookstore programming, social missions, late-night reading events, and monthly free e-book and audiobook access through On Book Store. By tying the message to a recognizable idol and rolling the launch through a major Seoul venue, the state is trying to make reading feel social, current, and lived-in again.

For HITKULTR, Reading Korea matters because it shows how cultural policy can borrow pop reach without flattening the artist involved. Starship Entertainment already framed Gaeul as someone with a real reading habit, which gives the campaign a more credible bridge between official language and actual fan behavior.