Gwangmyeong City Launches Initiative to Spread Reading Culture in Daily Life

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Yu Je-sung] Gwangmyeong City is moving forward to spread reading culture that encompasses all generations.

The city will hold the "2026 One Book Together with Gwangmyeong Citizens" Book of the Year declaration ceremony at 2 p.m. on the 25th in the auditorium of Soha Library.

"One Book Together with Gwangmyeong Citizens" is Gwangmyeong City's signature reading promotion project where citizens share and communicate through the same book.

This declaration ceremony is organized to publicly introduce this year's books and to formally launch the reading relay.

Since January, the city conducted a citizen recommendation campaign to select this year's books, receiving a total of 177 nominations. Following internal review and deliberation by the Citizen Selection Committee, the city finalized three books across different age groups.

The 2026 Gwangmyeong City Books of the Year are △General category: <Where Light Leads> (by Baek Hee-sung) △Youth category: <Yul's Perspective> (by Kim Min-seo) △Children's category: <Always Warm Juk House> (by Woo Shin-young).

The selected books contain generation-specific concerns and empathy. The general category book <Where Light Leads> is a novel set in an old mansion in Paris that depicts memories of family and love through an architect's perspective.

The youth category book <Yul's Perspective> tells a coming-of-age story of a middle school student who steps into relationships after distancing himself from the world, while the children's category <Always Warm Juk House> conveys the warm meaning of community against the backdrop of a neighborhood juk restaurant.

The event will proceed in two parts. In Part 1, this year's books will be announced along with the handover ceremony of books to the first citizen runner of the reading relay and citizen representative readings.

In Part 2, architect and novelist Baek Hee-sung will serve as the keynote speaker to share stories about space and memory in her work with citizens.

Beginning with the declaration ceremony, the city plans to operate various citizen participation programs including the reading relay to naturally establish reading culture in daily life.

Choi Hye-min, Acting Mayor of Gwangmyeong City (Vice Mayor), said, "The Book of the Year declaration ceremony is a meaningful occasion to begin a year of reading with citizens," and added, "I hope many citizens will join the declaration ceremony and author lecture to have a precious time sharing thoughts with one another through books."

For more information, visit the Gwangmyeong City Library website (gmlib.gm.go.kr).