Introduction

Despite the excessive pursuit of schooling that is often called ‘education fever’, Korea's enthusiasm for children's reading started only in the early 1990s. Parents’ call for better books for their children encouraged publishers to discover competent Korean writers and illustrators and to introduce plenty of translated books to young Korean readers. The government's policy to actively support school libraries from 2003 to 2007 also had a positive influence on children's reading experience. A variety of projects to promote children's reading showed that such efforts can help reluctant and struggling readers to develop an interest in books. This chapter will introduce case studies of projects that have guided children and young adults into the joy of reading and further invited them to regard books as their best friends for life.

Systems surrounding Korean children's reading

Korea is well known for parents’ extreme devotion to their children's education. ‘Kyoyuk yol’ (literally translated as ‘education fever’) is a special term indicating this national obsession with education (Seth, 2002, 1). Michael J. Seth, the author of Education Fever: society, politics, and the pursuit of schooling in South Korea, summarises the reality of Korean education that surprised him, from his American perspective:

(Note: A hagwon is similar to private tutoring but the class size varies from fewer than 10 students to more than 300. The hagwon system is similar to the public school system – usually there are a director, a vice director and classroom teachers in a hagwon, just as there are a principal, a vice principal and classroom teachers in public schools.)