A Book Playground in Jeonju at Jeonju Municipal Library Kkotsim

December 20, 2019: Kkotsim, Jeonju’s 12th Library

Jeonju Municipal Library Kkotsim is Jeonju’s 12th library, opened on December 20, 2019. Jeonju City introduces it as “a happy book playground for all citizens” and the representative library of Jeonju because it is more than a place to borrow books: children’s, youth, and adult collections, along with cultural spaces, are housed together in one building.

Its address is 306 Baekje-daero, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province (Jungwhasan-dong 2-ga), along Baekje-daero. The Korea Tourism Organization introduces this library, opened in 2019, as featuring traditional Korean roof rafters and hanji paper in its interior. Bringing Jeonju’s traditional image into a modern public library offers a clue to understanding the atmosphere of the current space.

How to visit for free, from Tuesday at 09:00 to Friday at 22:00

Collection rooms are open Tuesday through Friday from 09:00 to 22:00, and Saturday and Sunday from 09:00 to 18:00. General library use is free, and it is presented as a public library with no separate admission fee. Tourists who want to briefly look around inside or use the resources do not need to look for a ticket booth as they would at a paid attraction.

The library is closed every Monday and on public holidays, and may also close when the director deems it necessary. The main telephone number is 063-230-1840, and the official website is https://lib.jeonju.go.kr. Since the operating hours and closure information are current as of August 2026, it is safest to avoid planning a Monday visit.

From the first-floor children’s room to the fifth-floor reading rooms

The first floor has children’s and preschool rooms, a café, and an airy lobby. The Children’s Collection Room operates as “Yaho Book Playground,” equipped with picture books, books, and magazines for infants, preschoolers, and elementary school students, as well as play content such as board games, Korean-letter block boards, and puzzles. If you are traveling with children, it is efficient to visit the first floor immediately after entering.

The second floor is the General Collection Room, where visitors can use general collections, digital materials, periodicals, and newspapers; PC use and photocopying are also available. The third floor has Space Road 1216 and reading rooms, the fourth has a multipurpose auditorium, seminar rooms, and reading rooms, and the fifth also has reading rooms. There are three reading rooms with a total of 468 seats, so visitors who want to stay quietly for a long time should go up to the upper floors.

Space Road 1216 on the third floor, for ages 12–16 only

Space Road 1216 is a dedicated space on the third floor for the “tween generation,” meaning ages 12–16. Official information describes it as a place where tweens can come and go freely and comfortably and have experiences, alone or with peers, that are difficult to have at home or school. Therefore, general adult tourists should not assume that it is a collection room they may freely enter at any time.

The space is divided into Toktok Zone for communication, Kungkung Zone for energetic expression, Seukseuk Zone for creation, Gomgom Zone for contemplation, and Nyamnyam Zone for relaxation. Video production, a materials bar, Twin Collection, exhibitions, and performances are also offered, but programs and exhibitions vary by period. Participants in the Korea Tourism Organization’s library tour can receive a special tour of Space Road 1216, which is normally reserved for youth.

From Jeonju Station to Baekje-daero: an easy access option for foreign visitors

Kkotsim is not described as being within walking distance directly from Jeonju Station or Jeonju Express Bus Terminal; it is located along Baekje-daero. Official information does not confirm the route numbers or stop names of regular city buses, walking time after getting off, or subway stations and exit numbers, so this article does not provide them arbitrarily. Entering the address “306 Baekje-daero, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province” into a map app and checking taxi or bus routes is the most practical approach.

For drivers, the recommended route is to pass Banwol Intersection from Jeonju TG, head toward “Wansan-gu Office,” turn right at Tongil Square Intersection toward “Hwasan Gymnasium,” and then arrive at Kkotsim. Jeonju City’s official bicycle information lists the Baekje-daero route from Jeonju Station to Kkotbatjeong-i Intersection as 9.1 km, with a one-way travel time of 60 minutes, so cyclists can plan around this distance.

19 parking spaces and the three-hour free parking condition

The library parking lot has 19 spaces. Since it is not large, foreign families traveling by car should make an alternative parking plan rather than treating an on-site parking space as a prerequisite for the trip. When the lot is full, the outdoor parking lot at Jeonju Hwasan Gymnasium can be used.

Library users can request three hours of free parking at the first-floor desk. A separate standard parking fee for the Kkotsim parking lot could not be confirmed in publicly available sources. After parking, pass the first-floor desk, visit the Children’s Collection Room and café first, and then proceed to the second-floor General Collection Room or the upper-floor reading rooms according to your purpose.

A 2026 Jeonju Library Tour itinerary for a deeper look at Kkotsim

A light visit to Kkotsim alone takes about an hour, based on visitor reviews. If you want to stay longer, it is suitable to visit the General Collection Room and reading rooms together; families with children can also add the first-floor Yaho Book Playground. Accessible restrooms are available on every floor, and a nursing room is inside the first-floor Infant and Toddler Collection Room.

The “One-Day Course—A Story of Its Own” on the 2026 Jeonju Library Tour meets on the fourth floor of Kkotsim. It runs from April 4 to November 14, 2026, on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from 10:00 to 17:00. Each session is limited to 17 people. The fee is 6,000 won for adults and 5,000 won for children, youths, people with disabilities, military personnel, and seniors; children under six and basic livelihood security recipients are free. Jeonju citizens and families with multiple children receive a 1,000-won discount, but lunch is not included.

The program travels between several libraries and cultural facilities by dedicated bus with explanations from a guide, and advance reservations are made through the Jeonju Municipal Library website. Applications for the following month open on the first day of each month, and the contact number is the Library Tour Team at 063-230-1842. Since the course is also introduced as a seven-hour itinerary linking Dongmun Used Book Library, Jeonju Hanok Village, Ajung Lake Library, and the Wanfpanbon Culture Center after gathering on Kkotsim’s fourth floor, plan separately for a regular visit and a reservation-based tour.

Visitors for whom Kkotsim may not be suitable, and what to prepare

It cannot be assumed that tourists may freely photograph or explore every area inside the library. In particular, Space Road 1216 is dedicated to ages 12–16, and access to exhibitions, performances, classrooms, the multipurpose auditorium, and seminar rooms varies depending on programs or events. Public information does not confirm whether photography is prohibited, whether English information or an audio guide is available, or the specific routes for wheelchairs and strollers.

Before visiting, it is advisable to use the official website and main telephone number, 063-230-1840, to confirm closures and program operation for the date in question. If your purpose is extended reading or PC use, the collection rooms, which operate until 22:00 on weekdays, are advantageous; on weekends they close at 18:00. Although the café is on the first floor, the payment method could not be confirmed in public information, so it is safest to bring both a card and cash.