07/29/2026
One of Seoul’s smartest placemaking gestures is surprisingly simple: put books where people usually pass through.
Along Cheonggyecheon, the city has created an outdoor reading space by the water, with comfortable seating, small tables, lanterns and baskets of books. It is part of Seoul Outdoor Library, a recurring program across Cheonggyecheon, Gwanghwamun Square and Seoul Plaza.
The amenity is modest, but the behaviour it encourages is powerful: people pause, they stay longer. They experience a public space as part of daily life, rather than as a corridor between destinations.
In 2026, Seoul is extending the program with librarian-curated books, citizen-selected reading baskets, cultural activities, author talks, performances and pop-up outdoor libraries across the city.
By the end of 2025, the initiative had already attracted more than 8 million visitors and readers since its launch in 2022.
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