Seocho Book Street October Book Camping
Oct 24, 2026 · Seoul
Overview
Seocho Book Street is a book festival in the heart of the city that connects culture and people through books. The street stretching from the National Library of Korea to Seoraegol Park is filled with books and culture throughout, offering a special experience where visitors can pause for a moment in their daily lives and enjoy the pleasure and leisure of reading. At the festival, visitors can enjoy a variety of programs connecting reading, art, and people, including book play experiences and various participatory events. People of all ages can get closer to books in their own way—exploring stories within picture books, sharing their own reading experiences, and discovering new tastes and interests through books. In addition, a variety of book-centered cultural experiences unfold throughout the street, from spaces for reading and sharing books to exhibitions looking back on the festival's history. Seocho Book Street is more than just a space for reading books—it is an open cultural space where the library takes one step closer into everyday life and expands the local community's cultural sensibility. At Seocho Book Street, where people share their thoughts and experiences through books and continue to make new encounters and discoveries, visitors can experience a special book festival in the heart of the city.
Why go
Seocho Book Street turns the stretch between the National Library of Korea and Seoraegol Park into an open-air celebration of books and reading. The one-day October Book Camping edition adds participatory book-play activities and exhibitions reflecting on the festival's history, making it a relaxed, community-oriented stop for anyone who enjoys books and culture.
Getting there from Seoul
The festival site sits in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, so it's reachable within central Seoul rather than requiring a KTX or bus terminal connection. The nearest subway access is Seoul National University of Education Station (Line 3), from which it's a short walk to the National Library of Korea area where the street begins; a taxi from downtown Seoul typically takes 20-30 minutes depending on traffic.
Tips
- This is a single-day event (24 October 2026), so confirm your visit falls on that date.
- The festival stretches along a street between the National Library of Korea and Seoraegol Park, so comfortable walking shoes help.
- As it's an outdoor, street-based event, check the weather forecast for the day and dress accordingly.
Best for: book lovers, families, readers, culture enthusiasts.
Photos
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization 
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization 
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization 
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization
Other festivals in Seoul
Seoul
Yangjae Library Embracing Yangjae Stream: A Picture Book Journey Along the Waterway
Oct 10 – Nov 8, 2026
Seocho-gu's outdoor library program "Yangjae Library Embracing Yangjae Stream: A Picture Book Journey Along the Waterway" is an outdoor reading culture festival designed to let visitors experience books together with culture and the arts at Yangjae Stream, a natural space in the heart of the city. The event runs every Saturday and Sunday from October 10 to November 8, 2026, for a total of 10 sessions, held in the Osolsup forest in front of Yangjae Library and around Yangjae Stream. Under the themes of 'relationships, emotions, dreams and growth, healing, and nature,' a variety of picture books are introduced each week, and the event offers an outdoor reading space where visitors can freely read in nature, along with picture book exhibitions, hands-on programs, performances, and family participation programs. The reading and cultural arts programs are designed to take advantage of the distinctive features of each location, including the forest path, lawn, Yangjae Stream walking trail, and stepped spaces, with the distinguishing feature of expanding the reading experience from a traditional indoor library setting into a natural outdoor space. Anyone can participate, including families with children and citizens using Yangjae Stream, and through various programs connecting books, nature, and culture and the arts, visitors will be able to experience reading as part of everyday life.
Seoul
Hangang River Festival
Oct 17 – Oct 25, 2026
The Hangang River Festival offers a range of activities that appeal to both children and adults. Perfect for walking, running, or relaxing, the Hangang River area is filled with healthy laughter, delicious delights, and sparkling romance. A wonderful day at the Hangang River Festival is completed by applauding the gala show stage, created by aspiring youth and musical stars. A special playground in nature where children awaken their five senses and adults relax leisurely, a gourmet experience where the flavors and ideas of 20 young chefs fill your mouth, a lawn transformed into a giant yoga mat, and diverse water activities await you to slow down the pace of daily life.
Seoul
2026 Hanbok Culture Week
Oct 19 – Oct 25, 2026
2026 Hanbok Culture Week is a nationwide hanbok culture event held every year in the third week of October, centered on Hanbok Day (October 21), to promote hanbok—clothing that embodies Korea's beauty and tradition—and to spread the culture of wearing hanbok in everyday life. Now in its ninth year, 2026 Hanbok Culture Week will be held for seven days from October 19 to 25 at more than 410 venues nationwide, including the Open Plaza of the National Museum of Korea. Hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, organized by the Korea Craft and Design Foundation, and sponsored by the Arts Council Korea, the event features programs that showcase the diverse charms of hanbok, including a commemorative ceremony, hanbok fashion shows, exhibitions, performances, hands-on experiences, and academic forums. Through programs connected with various participating venues across the country, the event offers citizens opportunities to see, wear, and enjoy hanbok close to their daily lives, and through programs held at venues both in Korea and abroad, it serves as an occasion for hanbok, a traditional culture, to be carried forward as a culture of today and to exchange with the world.
Reach travelers heading to Seoul: sponsor this page.
Dates and programs can change. Check the official site before you go. Official site