Seoul's old city hall to be turned into public library

Seoul's old city hall at the center of the capital will be transformed into a public library, as part of the municipal government's cultural promotion projects, the city government said Thursday.

Since 2009, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has been building a new city hall after tearing down part of the old one, which was built in 1926 by the Japanese government during its 1910-45 colonial rule on the peninsula.

After three years of renovation, the old structure will accommodate the first library run directly by the metropolitan government starting on Oct. 12, according to the city.

In the five-story building with four underground floors, the library, tentatively named the "Seoul Library," will have around 200,000 books along with diverse audiovisual materials, digital data and Braille books, according to the city.

"South Korea celebrates Book Day on Oct. 11, and we plan to hold a book festival then for the following three days at Seoul Plaza," a city official said, explaining the meaning of the new library's opening day.

"We will try to expand the volumes in the library while actively promoting it for public service and convenience," she added.

Meanwhile, the new city hall under construction right behind the old one will be opened as early as September. (Yonhap)