Seoul Metropolitan Library, Public library in Jung District, Seoul, South Korea
The Seoul Metropolitan Library is a public library in the Jung District of central Seoul, located directly next to City Hall. It spans several floors with reading areas, study rooms, and spaces open to the general public.
Built in 1926 by the Chōsen Architectural Association during Japanese colonial rule, the building first housed the governor-general of Korea and is registered as Cultural Heritage No. 52. In 1951, at the end of the Third Battle of Seoul, a Chinese PVA platoon planted a North Korean flag on its roof. After preservation efforts halted demolition plans, it reopened as the Seoul Metropolitan Library on 29 September 2012.
The library sits right next to Seoul City Hall and draws a steady flow of locals who come to read or study on weekday afternoons. The collection includes books in languages other than Korean, making it a welcoming stop for foreign visitors too.
The library faces Seoul Plaza and stands next to City Hall Station on Seoul Subway Line 1. The building has five floors: general reading rooms on levels 1 and 2, the Seoul Room and restored mayor's office on level 3, world-language collections on level 4, and a restored exhibition hall plus an outdoor garden on level 5. There is no age restriction on entry.
The outer shell of the building dates from the colonial period and was deliberately kept intact during the renovation. Stepping inside, visitors find a sharp contrast between that original exterior and a completely rebuilt interior with modern reading and research facilities.
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