The '25th Korea Reading Debate Festival,' a representative domestic reading education festival created by students, teachers, and parents from all over the country, will be held at Gangneung Elementary School and Catholic Kwandong University from July 17 to 18, 2026.
This event, co-hosted by the National Reading New Wave Movement and Gangneung City, is sponsored by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, and 17 city and provincial education offices nationwide, and is Korea's representative reading, debate, and essay competition marking its 25th anniversary this year.
This year's competition is being held under the theme of "Empathy that Opens Hearts, Communication that Connects the World." The organizers have focused on cultivating democratic citizenship competencies that involve understanding the lives of others through reading and communicating healthily through discussion. Furthermore, the program aims to establish a reading culture across all life stages through "Reading Connection Education," which extends from kindergarten through elementary, middle, and high school to university and the general public.
This competition is open to students nationwide, out-of-school youth, and Korean students living overseas, and is operated in a total of seven categories: kindergarten, lower elementary, upper elementary, middle school, high school, and university/general.
In particular, this year's finals are structured as a reading festival that practices empathy and communication, going beyond mere competition. On the first day, the "Sprouting the Seeds of Empathy" program will be conducted for kindergarteners and first and second-grade elementary students, utilizing picture books and narrative discussions. Through picture book reading and conversation-centered activities, young participants will experience naturally expressing their thoughts and communicating with their friends.
On the evening of the same day, the final tournament of the team competition will be held, featuring representative teams from elementary, middle, and high schools. Participating schools will engage in discussions centered on "effective practical measures for community restoration through empathy and communication," while the elementary division will discuss communication methods in future society under the theme that "communication utilizing AI enhances human empathy."
On the second day, the semifinals and finals of the elementary, middle, and high school team competitions will be held, along with a 'Family Reading Discussion Festival' where parents and children can participate together. The Family Reading Discussion Festival is a special program designed to enhance empathy through intergenerational dialogue and to spread a healthy family reading culture.
The 'Declaration Ceremony for Reading Connection Education' will be held at the opening ceremony on this day. Reading education stakeholders from across the country are scheduled to jointly declare a future vision for reading education, embodying the aim of establishing an educational ecosystem where individuals grow through reading from kindergarten through elementary, middle, and high school to adulthood.
The individual finals will be held in the afternoon. Participating students engage in reading discussions and essay writing, and are evaluated on their ability to logically express thoughts gained from books and listen to the opinions of others. The approach of combining reading discussions and essay writing is designed to comprehensively cultivate critical thinking skills, communication competencies, and problem-solving abilities.
The books selected for this year are also drawing attention. Discussions will center on *Mission: Save Generation Alpha* and *The Altruist Manifesto* for the elementary school division; *The Giraffe Outside the Window* and *Yes, I Am Autistic, and I Am a Comedian* for the middle school division; *Adding a Perfect Friend* and *The Usefulness of Reading* for the high school division; and *Special Children Who Know a Little About Jeong Yak-yong* and *The World You Want to See* for the university and general public divisions. Participants will explore diverse social and humanities topics, broadening their perspectives on the world through books.
An official from the National Reading New Wave Movement stated, “Reading is not merely an activity for acquiring knowledge, but the most powerful educational practice for understanding one another and restoring the community,” adding, “We hope that the 25th Korea Reading Debate Festival will become a new turning point in the development of Korea’s reading culture.”
With a history spanning 25 years, the Korea Reading and Debate Festival has conveyed the joy of reading and the value of debate to countless students. As the nation's largest reading education festival designed to foster the empathy and communication skills necessary for future generations living in the AI era, this year's event is also expected to become a new milestone in the spread of reading culture.
[Competition Announcement] Registration for the 25th Korea Reading and Discussion Festival
■ Event Name:
The 25th Korea Reading and Discussion Festival
■ Preliminary Round Schedule:
May 1, 2026 (Fri) – June 6, 2026 (Sat)
■ Finals Schedule:
July 17 (Fri) – 18 (Sat), 2026
■ Finals Venue:
Gangneung Elementary School, Catholic Kwandong University
■ Eligibility
- Kindergarten (ages 5-7)
- Elementary school grades 1-2
- Elementary school grades 3-4
- Elementary school grades 5-6
- middle school student
- high school student
- University/General Division
- Including out-of-school youth and Korean students residing overseas
■ How to Participate
▶ Preliminary Round
- Submission of book discussion sheet
- Application for individual and team competitions
▶ Main Round
- Happy Reading Discussion (Individual/Group)
- Assignment-based reading and writing
- Story-based book discussion
- Operation of Family Reading Discussion Events, etc.
■ Major Programs
- Inter-school Reading Debate Team Competition
- Solo Exhibition Book Discussion
- Solo Exhibition Reading and Writing
- University & General Division Reading Discussion Festival
- Family Reading Discussion Event
- Proclamation Ceremony of Reading Connection Education
- "Sprouting the Seeds of Empathy" Special Program for Kindergarten and Lower Elementary Students
■ Tuition Fee
No participation fee (no merchandise sales)
■ Application Methods:
Online and Mail Applications
■ Registration:
Korea Reading Website
■ Inquiries
National Reading New Wave Association
☎ 02-541-9960
☎ 070-4226-0244
