Scroll through a list of the 17 best literary spots in and around Seoul, running the full range of libraries, literary museums, bookstores, and book cafés.
Literary hotspots in Seoul are one of a kind, thriving off modern, creative designs that both stun and fascinate.
RYSE, Autograph Collection by Marriott
While Seoul doesn’t have a proper literary hotel, RYSE offers the next best thing: unique, contemporary design made for artists and the creatively inclined. The hotel is pure eye candy, with tasteful art displays and innovative design everywhere you turn: accommodations, event spaces, and even the lobby.
Of special note is RYSE’s Print Culture Lounge, located on the hotel’s third floor. At once luxuriant and off-beat, it holds a broad collection of books, magazines, and vinyl records free for guests to browse.
Location: 130 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Cafe Comma (Hapjeong)
One of South Korea’s biggest publishers, Munhak Dongne, also happens to own a book café chain, and that is Cafe Comma. One of its most popular branches is located in the Hapjeong neighborhood of Seoul. It’s emblematic of what makes the chain so popular: a comfortable, casual atmosphere; tall bookcases; and excellent coffee, tea, and desserts.
The Hapjeong branch has a modern yet subtly off-beat design that gives it a refreshing, hip vibe, perfect for the young and young at heart.
Location: 49 Poeun-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Kyobo Book Centre Gwanghwamun
Kyobo Book Centre is South Korea’s largest bookstore chain, and its flagship location sits near Gwanghwamun Square, which lies at the historic (and literal) center of Seoul. This bookstore boasts an enormous collection of 2.3 million books and magazines in Korean, English, and other foreign languages.
It’s not just the collection that’s huge. The store itself is massive, divided into 11 sections for easy browsing. It also features cafés and cultural spaces for events and exhibitions.
Location: 1 Jong-ro, B1F, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
Gyeongbokgung Palace Royal Library (Jibokjae)
The Gyeongbokgung Palace Royal Library, known as Jibokjae, was the private library and royal study of a past Korean king, King Gojong, originally built in 1891. It once housed 40,000 books, including many on Western science, which have since been relocated for safekeeping. Now, it displays historical and philosophical texts alongside records on the royal family.
The royal library is currently open for a limited time, from April to June and September to October 2025. Admission to the palace, which includes access to the library, is, 3,000 Korean won (approximately US$2.11).
Location: 161 Sajik-ro, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
Cheongun Literature Library
Resting at the foot of Inwangsan Mountain lies Cheongun Literature Library, the first hanok-style (i.e., traditional Korean house-style) public library in Seoul. Despite its traditional design, it’s very new, having only opened in 2018. It features two floors: one modern and underground with a café and reading spaces; and the ground floor in hanok-style with handmade roof tiles and traditional on-the-floor seating.
The library dwells in perfect harmony with its natural surroundings, offering peaceful views of the mountain and a pond with a pavilion. It’s the best place in Seoul to read while surrounded by nature.
Location: 40 Jahamun-ro 36-gil, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum
Not too far from Cheongun Literature Library stands Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum, dedicated to the beloved Korean poet Yun Dong-ju. Since it occupies a building that used to be a water pumping station, its outside is utilitarian and unimpressive. However, the choice of building is intentional, as much of the poet’s work mentions water wells.
Admission to the museum is free. It houses three exhibition halls with personal items, handwritten manuscripts, and photographs. Even if you don’t know much about Yun Dong-ju, this museum can give visitors a deep insight into Korean culture.
Location: 119 Changuimun-ro, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
Itaewon Books
We’ve talked about Itaewon Books before, but there’s a reason for that. It is the oldest English-only secondhand bookstore in Seoul, established in 1973 and now designated as a Seoul Future Heritage site. You can expect to find a little bit of everything, piled high with a rough kind of organization.
As a family-run shop, it has a homey vibe, deep-set in the scent of paper and ink. For locals and travelers alike, it offers a welcome respite from overstimulating city life.
Location: 208, Noksapyeong-daero, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea
Graphic
While many might associate comics with children, Graphic is a bookstore with a café specializing in comics, graphic novels, and art books, open exclusively to adults. It is the practical definition of sleek, modern design. It measures three stories tall with walls that look like rugged stone on the outside, but appear nearly translucent at night.
Admission costs 20,000 won (US$14), which includes unlimited coffee, tea, and juice, and access to nearly 5,000 titles in Korean and English. There’s also a bar on the third floor where you can order whisky and cocktails.
Location: 33 Hoenamu-ro 39-gil, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea
Book Park Lounge at Blue Square
This high-end book café is located on the third floor of Blue Square, a popular cultural center in Seoul. Its standout feature is a five-story bookshelf woven into a staircase, but even without that, the unique, artsy design makes it an interesting spot for anyone to visit.
The lounge is plush, with comfy seating, ambient lighting, and a café. You need to pay an entry fee of 9,900 won (approximately US$7), after which you get one free drink and access to over 3,000 books (mostly, if not all, in Korean).
Location: 294 Blue Square, 3rd floor, Itaewon-ro, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea
National Library of Korea
For one of the most massive book collections in Seoul, head to the National Library of Korea. Established in 1945, it houses over 12.7 million items, including more than 1.5 million foreign-language books and rare national treasures. It preserves Korea’s literary and cultural heritage with extensive collections of books, old texts, documents, and digital archives.
Aside from its literary and cultural knowledge, it also possesses many unique architectural design elements that make it a pleasant place to work, study, or simply stroll through.
Location: 201 Banpo-daero, Seocho District, Seoul, South Korea
Sojeonseolim (소전서림)
Sojeonseolim is a curated library and art salon that takes art in all forms very seriously. Even its name is poetic, with the meaning, “a forest of books surrounded by white bricks.” It’s a chic, upscale spot with over 30,000 carefully curated books on literature, art, philosophy, and the humanities, primarily in Korean.
As upscale as it is, it requires both a reservation and an entry fee just to get your foot in the door. For more serious art and literature enthusiasts, you can join the book club that grants access to exclusive exhibitions, lectures, and performances.
Location: 131-8 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea
Starfield Library at COEX Mall
As what is quite possibly the most famous bookplace in all of South Korea, any visiting bibliophile has to see the Starfield Library at least once in their lifetime. Its towering bookcases create a striking and instantly recognizable image of Seoul’s literary culture.
But don’t think that this library is just about some big ol’ bookshelves. Starfield’s ever-changing art installations and cultural events celebrating art, music, and literature always offer something new to locals and newcomers alike. It’s not just a flimsy tourist attraction, but a genuine community hub for the people of Seoul.
Location: 513, Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Songpa Book Museum
Designed to evoke the feeling of walking inside a giant bookshelf, Songpa Book Museum is a bibliophile’s dream come true. Opened in 2019, it is Korea’s first public book museum, offering permanent and special exhibitions on the history of books, particularly regarding their evolution in Korea.
The museum also houses multiple studios, including one for children and one focused on bookbinding, plus various workshops and cultural programs. While most of the collection is in Korean, its fascinating book-inspired art pieces and creative interior design make it a delight to visit even if you can’t speak the local language.
Location: 77 Songpa-daero 37-gil, Songpa District, Seoul, South Korea
Arc N Book (Lotte World Mall)
Seated in Seoul’s Lotte World Mall, Arc N Book is a beautifully designed bookstore most famous for its eye-catching interior design. Of special note are the chic, asymmetric book tunnel with neon lighting and the name of the store itself, shown in thick, hipster font in front of an archway-shaped bookshelf.
Even without the fancy design, Arc N Book has plenty to offer in its varied collection of Korean books, stationery, and lifestyle goods. Complete with comfortable reading spaces and a café with a spectacular view of Seokchon Lake, this is a pleasant place to while away the time.
Location: 300 Olympic-ro, 4th floor, Songpa District, Seoul, South Korea
Seoul Book Repository (Seoul Chaekbogo)
Interestingly, not too far from Arc N Book is another famous book tunnel—this one found within the Seoul Book Repository, AKA Seoul Chaekbogo. The repository is run by the local city government and is more like a mall than a traditional bookstore, sourcing 200,000 volumes from independent secondhand shops across Seoul.
The building is divided into sections, each devoted to a unique independent bookshop with its own character and individual design, making the repository a true melting pot of creativity.
Location: 1 Ogeum-ro, Sincheon-dong, Songpa District, Seoul, South Korea
Hannae Forest of Wisdom
This community library and cultural center has an architectural design that truly stands out. It perfectly unifies the idea of a man-made space becoming one with nature, with intersecting gables outside, extensive wooden bookshelves inside, and large glass windows that both divide and bring the two together, letting in natural light.
The library has a café and also hosts community-centered programs, such as after-school programs. Hannae Forest of Wisdom also just so happens to have been one of the filming locations of a K-drama called Tempted.
Location: 86 Madeul-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Starfield Library Suwon
Though not located in Seoul, any book lover visiting South Korea’s capital will definitely want to consider the one-hour train ride to Suwon to see the library at Starfield Suwon Mall. Designed by the same company that built COEX and its library, this new version opened in January 2024 and spans four floors.
Its bookshelves are 22 meters tall, almost twice the height of the behemoth bookcases in COEX. However, don’t mistake this for an oversized replica. It has its own unique, geometric design, melding into the surrounding walls so that numerous shops and cafés can peer directly through the windows of the shelves into the library itself.
Location: 175 Suseong-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi, South Korea
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K Lou
K. Lou is a writer born in the U.S. who found her way to Japan through a spiritual calling—or, more precisely, better access to tea. She writes about travel, culture, and the occasional creative piece, inspired by her enduring love of books. This love began in high school when K. Lou carried books around to avoid seeming odd while lost in thought. Once she started reading, she never stopped. With zero regrets, she continues to explore the written word and invites others to join her in celebrating its varied forms.
