The National Library of Korea

The National Library of Korea in Seoul's Seocho-gu is Korea's central research library and deposit library, holding the largest single collection in the country with over 10 million volumes across print books, manuscripts, periodicals, government documents, and digital materials. As Korea's deposit library, it receives a copy of every book published in the country by legal deposit, making it the definitive research collection for Korean-language material. While primarily a working research library for scholars, the National Library is open to the general public for reading-room use and has expanded its visitor-friendly programming in recent years — the ground-floor Digital Library section offers interactive Korean-cultural-heritage displays, the traditional-Korean-book gallery displays representative pre-modern texts, and rotating exhibitions cover Korean literary and printing history. Bilingual signage on the main visitor areas. Free entry. Photo ID required to enter research reading rooms (adult ID sufficient for daily-use pass). Allow 90 minutes to 3 hours depending on interest. Access: 5-minute walk from Seocho Station (Line 2, Exit 6). Pair with the nearby National Museum of Korean Modern History or the broader Seocho-gu cultural district including the Seoul Arts Center and the National Gugak Center (batch 2 verified — gugak museum inside).