Seoul’s colder seasons is a perfect time to cozy up to a good book indoors and for book lovers, there’s no shortage of places to visit.

In terms of scale and size, you can’t beat the Kyobo Book Centre chain which has the distinction of being the largest book store chain in all of South Korea. In Seoul it operates a number of branches around the city including the flagship store in Gwanghwamun, inside Time Square Mall in Yeongdeungpo, in Jamsil and more. Known for their immense sizes, its largest store is the Gangnam branch store which measures almost 12,000 square meters and is Korea’s largest. Another popular major bookstore chain is Youngpoong Bookstore which also operates large-scale bookstores around city including in Jonggak, within Coex Mall, within Yeouido’s IFC Mall, and more. The larger stores of these chains typically carry millions of volumes of books in everything from the latest best sellers to timeless classics as well as books on just about every subject and topic. While most of the books are in Korean, generally have a large foreign books section as well.

For used foreign books, What the Book in Itaewon or the Itaewon Foreign Book Store are both well-known for their ample selection of used foreign books. The popular used book store chain, Aladdin, operates a number of stores around the city including in Jongno, Daehakno, Gangnam, Hapjeong, and more. Though the books are mostly Korean at this chain, many branches house a pretty wide selection of foreign books including novels, children books, and textbooks. These used bookstores also buys or trades books as well if you have any books you would like to get rid of!
If you have the time and want to surprise yourself, popular flea markets such as the Seoul Folk Flea Market will have old and used books of all genres and languages. Who knows, you may find your hands on a rare vintage book that’s a priceless treasure! Be sure to bring cash for payment and try your hand at negotiating a great price!

Opportunities to read a book aren’t limited to only shopping options and the city’s plentiful libraries will offer great reads for all ages. The Seoul Metropolitan Library, housed within the former historic Seoul City Hall, has floors of books including an impressive foreign books section. The National Library of Korea in the Seocho district and the National Assembly Library within the National Assembly building in Yeouido are also well known major libraries. Visitors from abroad can visit either libraries by bringing their passport and presenting it to the front desk for an entry pass.

Other libraries such as the Jeondok Public Library, Namsan Public Library, Seodaemun Public Library, and Yongsan Municipal Library carry a more limited number of foreign books but are open to the public for browsing. Specialty libraries are also found around the city such as the Children’s English Library in Haebangchon of Yongsan District, the digital library within the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Ryu Ga Heon Library of Photography, Nokbeon Comic Library, and the Hyundai Card Design Library for its large collection of design-related books. A handful of exquisitely beautiful libraries are found around Jongno District as part of their “Lovely Library in Jongno” program. Though these 14 libraries are small and with very limited number of foreign books, they are often housed in beautiful venues such as the Dodam Dodam Hanok Children’s Library housed inside a renovated hanok.

The Seoul Book Festival is a great opportunity for book lovers. This annual festival celebrates books with a variety of events. This year’s festivities, which took place in September, included a moonlight reading session on the Seoul Plaza grass with more than 600 attendees.

Lastly, for those who prefer their reading in privacy, check the city’s major hotel homepages for packages that may be just for you. Usually held in the autumn season, packages in the past have included hotel rooms with wine, chocolate, dessert, complimentary books, and other amenities.