A Day in Hwaseong Special Free City 'With Books'…Third Hwaseong City Library Festival 'Sentence Promenade' A Great Success
Hwaseong Special Free City (Mayor Jung Myung-geun) announced that it successfully concluded the "3rd Hwaseong City Library Festival
The festival, held in September to mark Reading Month, was organized under the theme of "Sentence Promenade - Reading Experience Together in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)." Designed to reflect on the value of reading and the role of libraries in a rapidly changing digital environment, the festival aimed to help citizens experience reading culture more familiarly in their daily lives.
An awards ceremony for the "Reading Essay Contest," conducted as part of the "2026 Hwaseong Special Free City Citizens' Shared Reading" project, was also held on the day. The city awarded 15 winners selected as outstanding entries in children, youth, and adult categories, and created an opportunity for citizens to share their reading experiences with the local community.
Following that, a "Reading Golden Bell" quiz was held on topics including the children's section book selections for the "2026 Hwaseong Special Free City Citizens' Shared Reading" project and library usage etiquette, allowing participants to enjoyably share knowledge about books and libraries.
At the Forest of Knowledge in Hwaseong Dongtan Central Library, a book concert by author Jung Yeo-ul, who wrote "A Time When Literature Is Needed" and "The Demian Project," was held. Author Jung shared the meaning and value of reading with citizens under the theme of "Why We Must Read in the Age of Artificial Intelligence - The Value of Reading, Life, and Contemplation."
At a meeting with author Kang Hye-sook, who won the Special Award at the Korea Children's Picture Book Awards for "Tiger's Birthday," citizens shared how personal experiences, emotions, observations, and imagination unique to people translate into pictures and stories in an era when artificial intelligence creates images.
At Solbit Park, puppet plays themed around books and reading, as well as ventriloquism, bubble performances, and magic shows were held. Geumgok Elementary School and Solbit Middle School near Hwaseong Dongtan Central Library, as well as private small libraries and local bookstores participated, operating promotional and experiential spaces that citizens could directly enjoy.
Yun Mi-young, head of the Library Policy Division, said, "This festival was an opportunity to reflect together with citizens on the unchanging value of reading and the library's role in connecting people even in the age of artificial intelligence," and added, "We hope that in the open spaces of libraries and parks, citizens experienced the joy of reading anew by encountering books, authors, and neighbors."