Project to expand access to Ukrainian books expands in South Korea

A collection of books in Ukrainian is now available at a public library in South Korea — the second “Ukrainian bookshelf” to be launched in the county as part of an effort to make Ukrainian language available to refugees and immigrants.

The collection of Ukrainian books at the Baedari Library in Pyeongtaek city includes titles about history, culture, traditions, cuisine and tourist sites in Ukraine, as well as children’s literature in Ukrainian, Korean and English languages, according to a Facebook post from the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Korea.

RELATED: Ukrainian bookshelf appeared in a Norwegian library

This is the second Ukrainian bookshelf in the Republic of Korea. The first opened in the Central Municipal Library of Seoul in September 2022. The first Ukrainian-language audio guide in the country was launched in Seoul’s most prominent cultural and art center Sejong Center in 2023.

At the beginning of this year, there were 5,205 Ukrainians residing in Korea, including at least 3,000 refugees, as reported by The Korea JoongAng Daily, an English language newspaper in South Korea.

The Ukrainian Bookshelf project is implemented worldwide under the patronage of Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine and Ukrainian Book Institute.

Main image: Facebook page of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Korea