(Library, Archive, or Museum Name)

General Information

Korean Name: 한국국제교류재단 문화센터
Address: Korean Foundation Cultural Center, Joongang Ilbo Building 1st Floor Sunhwa-dong 7, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-759
Korean Address: 서울시 종구 숭화동 7 중앙일보빌딩 1충 한국국제교류재단 문화센터
Phone Number: (82-2) 3789-5600
Fax Number: (82-2) 3789-5060
Email Address: kfcenter AT kf.or.kr
Online: http://www.kfcenter.or.kr/
Database Search: http://library.kfcenter.or.kr/?uid=
Entry Fee: Free
Opening Times: Library hours are Monday through Saturday 10:00-18:00.
Closed: Closed national holidays
Information Last Confirmed: July, 2007

Directions

The Cultural Center is five minutes walk from Exit 9 of the City Hall Station on Line 1 and 2. Seven minutes walk from Seodaemun Station on Line 5 from Exit 6. Bus access: Red Bus 5500, 9301, 9400, 9401, 9402, 9411, 9702, 9704, 9706, 9709, 9713 Blue Bus 172, 472, 600, 602, 603, 700, 200, 402, 406 Green Bus 7019, 3-1, 8-2, 1011, 7017 Yellow Bus 01

Map available on website. See the Introduction -> Location section for a map.

Usage

Anyone is free to visit the library of the cultural center. If you join as a full member you may also check items out. However, in order to become a member you have to be in Korea more than a month, make a 10,000 deposit for the period of membership, and unfortunately cannot get membership immediately on your first visit. According to a librarian there, you have to wait two days or so for your membership to come through. You may apply for membership online.

Full members of the center can check out two books at a time from the library for two weeks (plus one renewal) and can take advantage of their inter-library loan system to get works they don’t have access to.

Facilities

In addition to a gallery and lecture rooms which can be reserved by full members, the primary resource for researchers is the library which has a large selection of English language printed materials and academic works related to Korea as well as books in Korean. The library has a searchable catalog and a reading lounge. There is also a selection of Korean movies and the library subscribes to a number of journals related to Korea.

Card Catalogs:
Computers:
Reading Room:
Photocopy Machines:
Photocopy Prices:
Bathrooms: Just outside the main entrance
Vending Machines:
Nearby Food:

Collections of Note

Other Notes, Comments and Experiences

If you are in Korea for a short time and don't have affiliation with local universities and libraries, this library may be a useful place to go to get books related to Korea. (Last Visited: August, 2006)

Korea Foundation’s Cultural Center