The short version
Seoul has plenty of places where you can sit for hours without paying. The libraries that are famous in photographs are not the ones where you get work done, and each one differs on whether you can simply walk in or need to register first.
Last verified:
Deadlines that matter
Closing days
By when: Seoul Metropolitan Library every Monday, National Library on the second and fourth Monday
If you miss it: You cannot use it that day. Starfield Library has no closing day and covers the gap.
Right now
- 1If you only want to read on site rather than borrow, most public libraries let you walk in without showing anything.
- 2The National Library of Korea is for ages 16 and over, and closes on the second and fourth Monday of each month.
- 3Seoul Metropolitan Library closes on Mondays. Walking to City Hall on a Monday and turning back is a common mistake.
What to have ready
- ID: Needed to borrow or to register. Bring your residence card or passport.
- Earphones: The more open and free the space, the more noise carries.
- A layer: Reading rooms are usually kept cool.
Phrases you can copy and paste
Step by step
The route on a map
- 1
Starfield Library (COEX)
- Where:
- Samseong station on line 2, basement level 1 of Starfield COEX Mall
- How long:
- 10:30 to 22:00, open every day
- Cost:
- Free
An open hall with shelves running up to the ceiling, which is how most people meet it, through a photograph. It sits in the middle of a shopping mall with people walking through constantly, so it is not the place for quiet concentration. What it is good for is late opening and never closing: browsing in the evening, or filling the gap between two appointments. You can take books off the shelves and read them there, but nothing is lent out.
513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 2
Seoul Metropolitan Library (City Hall)
- Where:
- City Hall station on lines 1 and 2, in the old Seoul City Hall building
- How long:
- Tuesday to Friday 09:00 to 21:00, Saturday and Sunday 09:00 to 18:00. Closed Mondays and public holidays
- Cost:
- Free
Reading the collection on site is open to anyone. Membership is only needed for borrowing, reservations and the preservation collection. To register you need identification, and a residence card or domestic residence report is accepted. A passport alone does not show an address, so you will be asked for a document that confirms where you live. The general reading rooms run until nine in the evening, which makes them usable after work, while some rooms such as the digital and world collections close at six on weekdays. The building itself, the former city hall, is worth the visit.
110 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 3
National Library of Korea (Seocho)
- Where:
- Walk from Express Bus Terminal station on lines 3, 7 and 9
- How long:
- 09:00 to 18:00, and until 21:00 on Wednesdays. Closed on the second and fourth Monday of each month
- Cost:
- Free
The largest collection in the country and the best of these for sitting still and working for a long stretch. There are conditions. You must be 16 or over, and you need a user card to access the collection. The card is issued at the user registration desk on the first floor when you bring identification, and registration is also possible online. If you do not have Korean identity verification methods such as a local mobile number, you can still register in person with your ID. Material stays inside the building and cannot be taken out.
201 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 4
If you would rather pay and be sure of a seat, use a study cafe
- Cost:
- Charged by time. Rates vary by branch
Every neighbourhood has one. Most run unstaffed: you pick a seat at the machine by the door, pay for a block of time and go in. Silent seats and seats where you can take a call are separated, and some branches stay open very late or around the clock. Unlike a library you can secure a seat without planning ahead, and the longer you stay the better the value compared with a cafe. University libraries are mostly closed to people outside the university, so it is better not to count on those.
The Korean words
- 열람실yeollamsil· reading room
- The room where you sit and read. Quiet is the default.
- 대출daechul· borrowing
- Taking a book out. Requires membership.
- 휴관hyugwan· closed today
- The sign meaning the library is not open that day.
- 이용증iyongjeung· library card
- The card issued so you can use the collection.
- 스터디카페seuteodi kape· study cafe
- A paid study space where you buy a seat by the hour.
Easy to miss
- Plans made for a Monday tend to fail. Public library closing days cluster on Mondays.
- The library that photographs well and the library you can work in are not the same one. Starfield Library is an open, noisy space.
- A passport on its own is sometimes not enough to register. You also need something showing your address.
- The National Library is not open to under 16s as a rule.
You can skip this if
- If you are looking for a place to work on a laptop for hours, power sockets and seating rules vary so much by cafe that the cafe question is worth answering separately.
- If you want to buy books, a large bookshop suits you better. Library material cannot leave the building.
When it is time for a person
- If you are studying or preparing for an exam in Korea, someone who knows local library registration and study support programmes is worth having.
Where this comes from
Rules, fees and deadlines change and depend on your exact case. Please confirm the details with the official sources before you act.