Many young South Koreans are ditching their smartphones and finding a little more time to read books.

Seoul’s Yeonnam-dong district is a hub for the young and trendy. Yes, they hang out in cafes and restaurants, uploading snaps of “artisanal” desserts and coffees to social media. But they also developed a passion for something that was once on the verge of extinction: independent bookstores.

Lisbon, which opened in 2015, is one of several establishments operating in Yeonnam-dong. The store’s tall wooden shelves are full of literature and poetry from around the world, and people in their 20s and 30s go crazy for it.

“I come here because there are genres that you can’t find in big bookstores,” explains a customer. Another visitor is just as enthusiastic: “I like cute little things, so I enjoy not only the books, but also the atmosphere. »

Business owners are doubling down

Some of Seoul’s new bookstores are run in tandem with other businesses: everyone from pharmacists to lawyers are trying their hand.

Travel agent Ko Yoon-kyung opened the aptly named Check-In five years ago. “It’s difficult to live solely on sales, so we supplement our income with the travel agency,” explains the 37-year-old man.

Ko is all about letting his customers have fun. They will be able to drink wine while browsing the approximately 800 travel books on offer. Some even want to book their own trip.

The resurgence of independent bookstores in South Korea is an unlikely success story. Research showed there were just 97 in 2015, but 884 in 2023, a tenfold increase.

Additionally, a government survey in 2023 showed that just under 60% of adults had not read a single book in the past year, whether digitally or in print. But a series of measures have boosted the dynamism of a once declining industry.

Lawmakers began taking action a decade ago, when big booksellers and online booksellers were engaged in a fierce price war that drove prices down nearly 50 percent. The government has leveled the playing field for small businesses by capping discounts at 15 percent.

And in 2021, reforms to the Law on the Promotion of Publishing and the Cultural Industry have clearly highlighted that it is the government’s responsibility to protect independent bookstores.

Libraries offer local support

The industry now benefits from the support of public libraries. There are 19 in Paju, a city on the outskirts of Seoul, and 93% of the books they purchased in 2023 came from local independent stores.

“Libraries and bookstores have the same goal: to increase the number of people who read books,” says Sim Sun-hee of Gyoha Library in Paju.

“I think readers, libraries, bookstores and authors need to work together, as an ecosystem.”

The day we visited, the president of a local bookstore came to deliver 50 titles to us. “The library is very attentive to our needs, which helps us increase our sales,” he says.

Last year, the National Agency for the Promotion of Publishing and Cultural Industries helped finance more than 500 events organized by independent bookstores, including readers’ forums and author conferences.

Kim Byeong-ju, head of the agency, believes that all this is for the common good.

“Independent bookstores carry a wide variety of publications, which helps authors break free from the focus on writing bestsellers,” he says. “They can create more experimental works, which will only make Korean culture more diverse.”

Create a new community

Dotori Bookstore opened in February 2024 in a residential area in eastern Seoul that had no bookstores. Since then, it has become a popular gathering place for locals. Book clubs, calligraphy circles, and study groups all meet there.

“The neighborhood has changed since the bookstore opened,” says a 30-year-old local resident. “I was able to meet people. This place brings people together.”

A copy of Demian, by the German author Hermann Hesse, testifies to the warm spirit that reigns in the bookstore. A note from a resident is attached to the cover: “I present this book as a gift to teenagers who are growing up, always worried and confused as they search for who they really are.”

A staff member said the resident loved the book so much she bought a copy to give to a young client.

“I think it’s important to create a warm world where people’s hearts come together, especially today,” the staffer said. “Bookstores are the ideal place to create such a place.”