South Korea certifies record 305 reading-friendly workplaces
In short
South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Publication Industry Promotion Agency said on 22 October they had certified a record 305 companies and institutions as 2026 reading-management workplaces. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power won the top prize for its employee reading programme, which has run for 12 years.
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The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Publication Industry Promotion Agency (한국출판문화산업진흥원) said on 22 October that they had certified 305 companies and institutions that practise reading-friendly management as 2026 reading-management excellent workplaces (독서경영 우수직장). Yonhap, Asia Economy and Newsis all reported the figure as the largest since the scheme was introduced. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The top prize, the culture minister's award, went to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (한국수력원자력). Yonhap and Newsis said it has run its 'Book Learning' (북러닝) programme for all staff for 12 years. Asia Economy said the programme began in 2014 and that staff participation reached 95% last year, helped by book deliveries to overseas sites and audiobooks for shift workers and staff abroad. It also said 390 teams in the reading-based learning groups called 'Learners' (러너스) applied what they read to problems at work and produced 30 good cases. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The certification scheme started in 2014 with 20 organisations. Asia Economy said the number was 206 in 2023, 252 in 2024 and 277 in 2025. This year's 305 comprise 88 new organisations, 124 that passed an interim check and 93 that were recertified. Yonhap said this is the 13th year of the scheme. Newsis said a new certification lasts three years, with an interim check each year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Five organisations won the best-performance prize: Nepaseu (네패스), Jungsogieop Gisuljeongbo Jinheungwon (중소기업기술정보진흥원), Cheongju Welfare Foundation (청주복지재단), Kolmar Holdings (콜마홀딩스) and Tekbilgyoyuk (테크빌교육). According to Asia Economy, Nepaseu links its 20-year-old reading programme to key performance indicators and uses an AI-based mobile app to share staff reading records. Kolmar Holdings has run a reading-credit system since 2006 that counts towards promotion evaluations. The Cheongju Welfare Foundation sets aside 30 minutes after arrival for reading with no work contact, and its staff read 394 books in total last year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Ten other organisations won the excellence prize. Asia Economy said 11 organisations that have kept the certification for more than 10 years will receive merit plaques. Newsis put the top prize and the best-performance prize at book vouchers worth 2 million won each, and the excellence prize at 1 million won. Yonhap said winners also receive a certification plaque. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Newsis reported that, from this year, the ministry extends book-purchase support of about 500,000 won per organisation to all certified organisations, where before it covered only newly certified small and medium-sized firms. It also plans to support touring book concerts, reading-management consulting and book club costs. The ceremony was held at the National Library of Korea on 22 October. Choi Seong-hee (최성희), the ministry's director for content industry policy, said the ministry would seek varied support measures so that efforts on the ground continue and reading management spreads to more workplaces. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The number of certified organisations has grown from 20 in 2014 to 305, according to the documents. The ministry said it will look for ways to spread reading-based management to more workplaces, and from this year it extends book-purchase support to all certified organisations.
Key facts
- The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Publication Industry Promotion Agency (한국출판문화산업진흥원) certified 305 companies and institutions as 2026 reading-management excellent workplaces (독서경영 우수직장), the most since the scheme began with 20 in 2014. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Of the 305, 88 are new, 124 passed an interim check and 93 were recertified. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (한국수력원자력) received the top prize, the culture minister's award, for its 'Book Learning' (북러닝) programme for all staff, which has run for 12 years. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Five organisations won the best-performance prize and 10 won the excellence prize, making 16 selected outstanding organisations in all. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The top prize carries book vouchers worth 2 million won, the best-performance prize 2 million won and the excellence prize 1 million won. [ 3 ]
- From this year the ministry extends book-purchase support of about 500,000 won per organisation, to be spent at nearby local bookshops, to all certified organisations instead of only newly certified small and medium-sized firms. [ 3 ]
- The certification and awards ceremony was held at the international conference hall of the National Library of Korea on 22 October. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- 305 companies and institutions were certified as 2026 reading-management excellent workplaces, a record, up from 20 when the scheme began in 2014. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power won the top prize for running the 'Book Learning' programme for all staff. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Nepaseu (네패스), Jungsogieop Gisuljeongbo Jinheungwon (중소기업기술정보진흥원), Cheongju Welfare Foundation (청주복지재단), Kolmar Holdings (콜마홀딩스) and Tekbilgyoyuk (테크빌교육) won the best-performance prize. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Of the 305 certified, 88 are new and 93 were recertified. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Details of the best-performance winners' programmes, such as Kolmar Holdings' reading credits counting towards promotion and the Cheongju Welfare Foundation's 30-minute morning reading, come only from Asia Economy. Only one outlet in the documents gives these programme details.
- The expanded book-purchase support, the 1 million to 2 million won vouchers and the planned book concerts and consulting are reported only by Newsis, citing the ministry's announcement. Only one outlet in the documents gives these figures.