The Bukchon Village Library was opened in October 2015 to offer the public wider access to books and the opportunity to attend cultural lectures in a Bukchon hanok.
The library is one of seven buildings that were purchased by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in the early stages of the Bukchon Renovation Project. Although it was originally entrusted to the private sector and used as guesthouse, it has been transformed into a space for local residents. The Bukchon Village Library, named Bansongjae Dokseoru in Korean, houses about 1,230 books donated by Kim Hong-nam, the former director of the National Museum of Korea, and the residents of Bukchon. The books are arranged by theme (26 themes) – including Hanok and Bukchon, Humanities, History and Cultural History, Essays, Seoul Studies, and Folklore among others – and included on a book list which users can search on the homepage of the Seoul Hanok. Furthermore, as the library houses many children’s books, parents can read books together with their children while experiencing Korea’s traditional housing culture.