CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS
The purpose of this Decree is to prescribe matters mandated by the Libraries Act and matters necessary for the enforcement thereof.
| Article 2 (Scope of knowledge information vulnerable groups) |
"The knowledge and information vulnerable class prescribed by Presidential Decree" in the part, with the exception of the subparagraphs, of Article 6(1) of the Libraries Act (hereinafter referred to as the "Act") means the following persons:
| 1. | Persons with disabilities under the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities; |
| 2. | Beneficiaries under the National Basic Living Security Act; |
| 3. | Residents of rural and fishing villages under the Special Act on Quality Improvement of Life of Farmers and Fishers and Development Promotion of Agricultural and Fishing Villages; |
| 4. | Members of multicultural families under the Multicultural Families Support Act; |
| 5. | North Korean defectors pursuant to the North Korean Defector Protection and Settlement Support Act; |
| 6. | Persons over 65 years of age. |
| Article 3 (Scope of application) |
| (1) | In Article 9 of the Act, "facility prescribed by Presidential Decree" means a facility equipped with the functions of search, use, and lending of materials so that the public can use the materials preserved in the facility, which is recognized by the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism as a facility subject to this Act ex officio or upon application. |
| (2) | Any person who wishes to obtain the recognition of a facility under paragraph (1) shall submit an application for recognition to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism along with the documents prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. |
CHAPTER II FORMULATION OF COMPREHENSIVE LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT PLANS
| Article 4 (Matters for deliberation and adjustment by National Library Committee) |
In Article 11(2)6 of the Act, "matters prescribed by Presidential Decree" refers to any of the following subparagraphs:
| 1. | Matters concerning the current status of the operation and use of the library; |
| 2. | Matters concerning the guidelines for establishing an annual implementation plan (hereinafter referred to as "implementation plan") pursuant to Article 15(1) of the Act; |
| 3. | Matters concerning the evaluation of the previous year's performance of the implementation plan under Article 15(3) of the Act; |
| 4. | Matters concerning cooperation with the Metropolitan Library Committee under Article 17 of the Act; |
| 5. | Matters concerning the standards and scope of library personnel, facilities, and library materials; |
| 6. | Matters concerning the standards and scope of exchange, transfer, disposal, and expulsion of library materials (referring to the removal of books no longer useful from the register); |
| 7. | Matters concerning the revitalization of public participation in the use of libraries, etc.; |
| 8. | Other matters submitted to the meetings by the chairman of the National Library Committee under Article 11 of the Act (hereinafter referred to as "National Library Committee"). |
| (1) | The Secretariat (hereinafter referred to as "the Secretariat") established in the National Library Committee pursuant to Article 11(3) of the Act shall perform the following affairs: |
| 1. | Preparation for the meeting of the National Library Committee; |
| 2. | Preparation and review of the agenda for deliberation by the National Library Committee; |
| 3. | Consultation and coordination with the relevant central administrative agencies concerning the agenda for deliberation of the National Library Committee; |
| 4. | Promotion of activities and external cooperation of the National Library Committee; |
| 5. | Other affairs necessary for the operation of the National Library Committee. |
| (2) | The Secretariat shall have one secretary-general, and the head of the planning group under Article 11(3) of the Act shall concurrently serve as the secretary-general. |
| (3) | The secretary-general of the Secretariat shall exercise overall control over the affairs of the Secretariat under the direction of the chairman of the National Library Committee, and direct and supervise his or her staff. |
| (4) | Except as otherwise provided for in paragraphs (1) through (3), matters necessary for the operation of the Secretariat and any other similar matters shall be determined by the chairperson of the National Library Committee through a resolution of the National Library Committee. |
| Article 6 (Ex officio members of National Library Committee) |
| (1) | "Heads of the relevant central administrative agencies prescribed by Presidential Decree" in Article 12 (3) 1 of the Act means the Minister of Economy and Finance, the Minister of Science and ICT, the Minister of Education, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of National Defense, the Minister of the Interior and Safety, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources, the Minister of Health and Welfare, the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Minister of Planning and Budget. <Amended on Oct. 1, 2025; Dec. 30, 2025> |
| Article 7 (Operation of National Library Committee) |
| (1) | A majority of the members of the National Library Committee shall constitute a quorum, and any decision thereof shall require the concurring vote of a majority of those present. |
| (2) | Allowances, travel expenses, and other necessary expenses may be paid to the members, related public officials, or related experts who attend the National Library Committee, within the scope of the budget: provided, no payment shall be made if a public official attends the National Library Committee in direct connection with his or her duties. |
| (3) | Except as otherwise provided for in this Decree, matters necessary for the operation of the National Library Committee shall be determined by the chairperson of the National Library Committee following a resolution of the National Library Committee. |
| Article 8 (Work-level coordination meeting) |
| (1) | A working-level coordination meeting may be established at the National Library Committee for practical consultation and coordination with the relevant administrative agencies on the deliberation agenda of the National Library Committee. |
| (2) | Matters necessary for the organization and operation of the working-level coordination meeting under paragraph (1) shall be prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. |
| Article 9 (Formulation of annual implementation plan) |
| (1) | In order to efficiently establish an implementation plan, the chairperson of the National Library Committee shall set the guidelines for formulation of an implementation plan for the following year after deliberation by the National Library Committee, and notify these to the heads of relevant central administrative agencies, the Special Metropolitan City Mayor, Metropolitan City Mayor, Special Self-Governing City Mayor, Do Governor, and Special Self-Governing Province Governor (hereinafter referred to as "Mayor/Do Governor") by September 30 each year. |
| (2) | The heads of relevant central administrative agencies and the Mayor/Do Governor shall establish an implementation plan for the following year that includes the following matters in accordance with the guidelines for formulation of an implementation plan under paragraph (1) and submit it to the chairperson of the National Library Committee by November 30 of each year: |
| 1. | Direction-setting for implementing projects in the relevant year; |
| 2. | Direction-setting for implementing each major project; |
| 3. | Detailed implementation plan for each major project; |
| 4. | Other matters necessary for implementing the projects; |
| (3) | The chairperson of the National Library Committee shall compile the implementation plans for the following year submitted pursuant to paragraph (2) and notify it to the heads of relevant central administrative agencies and the Mayor/Do Governor by December 31 of each year. |
| Article 10 (Evaluation of previous year's performance of implementation plan) |
| (1) | The heads of relevant central administrative agencies and the Mayor/Do Governor shall submit previous year‘s performance of the implementation plan to the chairperson of the National Library Committee by March 31 of each year. |
| (2) | The chairperson of the National Library Committee shall evaluate previous year's performance of the implementation plan, including the following matters, and notify the results to the heads of relevant central administrative agencies and the Mayor/Do Governor: |
| 1. | Compliance with the comprehensive library development plan under Article 14 of the Act; |
| 2. | Fidelity of implementation of the implementation plan; |
| 3. | Achievement of goals of implementation plan; |
| (3) | The head of a relevant central administrative agency and the Mayor/Do Governor shall reflect the evaluation results notified pursuant to paragraph (2) when formulating an implementation plan for the following year pursuant to Article 15(1) of the Act. |
| (4) | Except as otherwise provided for in paragraphs (1) through (3), matters necessary for the evaluation of previous year's performance of the implementation plan shall be determined by the chairperson of the National Library Committee through a resolution by the National Library Committee. |
CHAPTER III NATIONAL LIBRARY OF KOREA AND NATIONAL LIBRARY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
| Article 11 (Education and training of library staff) |
| (1) | The Director of the National Library of Korea under Article 19(1) of the Act (hereinafter referred to as "Director of the National Library of Korea") shall establish and operate a librarian education and training course for the education and training of library staff under Article 20(1)5 of the Act. |
| (2) | The Director of the National Library of Korea may require other libraries, training institutions, or universities that have the department of library and information science or the department of library science to provide the librarian education and training courses under paragraph (1). |
| (3) | Except as otherwise provided for in paragraphs (1) and (2), matters necessary for the education and training of library staff shall be determined by the Director of the National Library of Korea. |
| Article 12 (Exchange and cooperation with domestic and foreign libraries) |
The Director of the National Library of Korea shall perform the following tasks for the exchange and cooperation with domestic and overseas libraries pursuant to Article 20(1)5 and 6 of the Act:
| 1. | Distribution of information and library materials through the establishment of a national library information system; |
| 2. | Shared collection (refers to sharing and collecting library materials between libraries), interlibrary loan, and collaborative preservation of library materials; |
| 3. | Construction and provision of a comprehensive list of library materials; |
| 4. | Reproduction and distribution of domestic and foreign rare library materials; |
| 5. | Support related to preservation of library materials; |
| 6. | Joining international organizations related to libraries and conducting joint inter-country projects; |
| 7. | Operation of a library cooperation network to establish a business connection system with domestic and foreign libraries. |
| Article 13 (Request for provision of library materials for international exchange) |
If there are library materials needed for the exchange and cooperation with the foreign libraries under Article 20(1)6 of the Act among the materials published or produced by public institutions under the Public Records Management Act, the Director of the National Library of Korea may request the relevant public institutions to provide the library materials.
| Article 14 (Support and cooperation for reading promotion activities) |
The Director of the National Library of Korea shall perform the following tasks to provide support and cooperation for reading promotion activities pursuant to Article 20(1)8 of the Act:
| 1. | Development and distribution of reading materials (referring to reading materials under the Reading Culture Promotion Act) and various programs to promote reading activities of the public; |
| 2. | Improvement of the reading environment for the knowledge and information vulnerable class in accordance with each subparagraph of Article 2; |
| 3. | Cooperation with reading-related facilities, institutions and organizations. |
| Article 15 (Legal deposit of library materials) |
| (1) | Library materials deposited in the National Library of Korea pursuant to Article 21(1) of the Act (excluding online materials: provided, it shall include online materials to which the international standard data number is assigned pursuant to Article 23(1) of the Act; hereafter the same shall apply in this Article) shall be the library materials specified in each of the following subparagraphs: |
| 3. | Sheet music, maps and materials in provisional format (referring to a method of insertion and removal); |
| 4. | Materials and electronic materials in microform (referring to a form or medium in which printed materials or graphics are reduced to a very small size by a photographic or electronic method); |
| 5. | Audio-visual materials such as slides, sound recordings, cassette tapes, and video materials; |
| 6. | Tangible items such as compact discs and digital video discs among electronic publications under the Publishing Industry Promotion Act; |
| 7. | Special materials for people with disabilities, such as Braille materials, recording materials, and large print materials; |
| 8. | Library materials publicly notified by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism as records published in the new form according to changes in the publishing environment. |
| (2) | The legal deposit of library materials in the form of digital files (hereinafter referred to as "digital file data") among the legal deposits pursuant to Article 21(1) of the Act and the legal deposit pursuant to paragraph (2) of that Article shall be done by any of the following methods: |
| 1. | Method of transmitting digital files of relevant materials and bibliographic information through the transmission system of the National Library of Korea; |
| 2. | Method of storing the digital file of relevant materials and bibliographic information in a storage medium and sending them to the National Library of Korea; |
| 3. | Method of notifying the National Library of Korea of the location of relevant materials and bibliographic information on the Internet, and taking measures to enable the National Library of Korea to access and collect them. |
| (3) | The number of deposited copies of library materials pursuant to Article 21(1) of the Act shall be in accordance with the following classifications: |
| 1. | In the case of library materials in the form of digital files: |
| a. | If it agrees to archival reproduction (referring to duplicating the materials in question by the National Library of Korea for the preservation of the deposited materials; hereafter the same shall apply in this paragraph): 1 copy; |
| b. | If it does not consent to archival reproduction: 2 copies: provided, in the case of legal deposit by the State, local governments or any other institutions referred to in each subparagraph of paragraph (4) (hereafter referred to as "the State, etc." in this paragraph), it refers to 3 copies; |
| 2. | In case of library materials other than digital file data: |
| a. | In case of legal deposit by the State, etc.: 3 copies; |
| b. | In case of deposit by a person other than the State, etc.: 2 copies; |
| (4) | "Public institutions prescribed by Presidential Decree" in Article 21(2) of the Act means the following institutions: |
| 1. | Public institutions under Article 4 of the Act on the Management of Public Institutions; |
| 2. | Local public corporations and local government-invested public corporations under the Local Public Enterprises Act; |
| 3. | Schools at each level established in accordance with the Early Childhood Education Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Higher Education Act and other statues; |
| 4. | A corporation established under a special law. |
| (5) | If the State, etc. deposits materials pursuant to paragraph (3)2a, it shall additionally deposit 1 copy in the form of digital file pursuant to Article 21(2) of the Act. |
| (6) | A person who deposits library materials pursuant to Article 21(1) and (2) of the Act shall submit a statement on the legal deposit of library materials to the Director of the National Library of Korea as prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. |
| Article 16 (Collection of online data) |
| (1) | Online materials collected by the Director of the National Library of Korea pursuant to Article 22(1) of the Act include websites, web materials, etc. prepared in electronic form, which are materials selected and publicly notified by the Director of the National Library of Korea after deliberation by the Library Materials Review Committee under Article 17. |
| (2) | If all or part of the online materials collected pursuant to Article 22(1) of the Act are for sale, the Director of the National Library of Korea shall issue a collection certificate prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to the person who provided the online materials. |
| Article 17 (Library Materials Review Committee) |
| (1) | The Director of the National Library of Korea may organize and operate the Library Materials Review Committee (hereinafter referred to as the "Review Committee") to deliberate on the following matters regarding library materials deposited pursuant to Article 21 of the Act and online materials collected pursuant to Article 22 of the Act: |
| 1. | Calculation of the appropriate compensation amount; |
| 2. | Criteria for selecting materials subject to legal deposit and collection, such as the types and forms of materials; |
| 3. | Other matters submitted to the meeting as deemed necessary by the Director of the National Library of Korea; |
| (2) | The Review Committee shall be composed of up to 15 members, including one chairperson, in consideration of gender. |
| (3) | The members of the Review Committee (hereinafter referred to as "review members") shall be appointed by the Director of the National Library of Korea from among the persons falling under any of the following subparagraphs, and the chairperson of the Review Committee (hereinafter referred to as "chairperson of the Review Committee") shall be elected from among the review members: |
| 1. | A person who has obtained a master's degree or higher in a library-related field, such as library information science, at a school prescribed in Article 2 of the Higher Education Act and has served or has been serving as an assistant professor or higher or in equivalent position for at least 5 years at a school under that Article or an accredited research institution; |
| 2. | A person who is or has been engaged in a library-related field for at least 7 years; |
| (4) | The chairperson of the Review Committee shall represent the Review Committee and exercise overall control over its business. |
| (5) | The term of office of the review members appointed pursuant to paragraph (3) shall be 2 years: provided, if the Review Committee is dissolved pursuant to paragraph (9), the term of office shall expire at the time of dissolution. |
| (6) | A review member shall be excluded from deliberation by the Review Committee if he or she falls under any of the following cases: |
| 1. | Where a review member or his or her spouse or former spouse becomes a party to the relevant agenda (if the party is a corporation, organization, etc., its executive officers are included; hereafter the same shall apply in this subparagraph and subparagraph 2), or is a joint right holder or a joint obligor with the party to the relevant agenda; |
| 2. | If a review member is or was a relative of the party to the relevant agenda; |
| 3. | When a review member provides testimony, statement, advice, or conducts investigation, research, service, or appraisal on the relevant agenda; |
| 4. | In other cases where a review member has a direct interest in the relevant agenda. |
| (7) | If a review member falls under any of the grounds for exclusion under each subparagraph of paragraph (6), he or she shall rescue himself or herself from deliberation of the relevant agenda. |
| (8) | The Director of the National Library of Korea may dismiss a review member if the review member falls under any of the following subparagraphs: |
| 1. | In case of misconduct related to duties; |
| 2. | When the person is deemed unsuitable to serve as a member due to neglect of duty, loss of dignity, or other reasons; |
| 3. | In case of failure to rescue himself or herself even though he or she falls under any of the subparagraphs of paragraph (6); |
| 4. | When the review member expresses his or her intention that it is difficult for him or her to perform his or her duties. |
| (9) | If the Director of the National Library of Korea recognizes that the purpose of organizing the Review Committee has been achieved, he or she may dissolve the Review Committee. |
| (10) | Except as otherwise provided for in paragraphs (1) through (9), matters necessary for the operation of the Review Committee shall be prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. |
| Article 18 (Compensation procedures for library materials) |
| (1) | When the Director of the National Library of Korea receives a statement on the legal deposit of library materials pursuant to Article 15(6) or issues the collection certificate of library materials pursuant to Article 16(2), the Director of the National Library shall inform the person who submitted the statement on the legal deposit or the person who is issued the collection certificate of the claim for compensation. |
| (2) | A person who submits a statement on the legal deposit of library materials pursuant to Article 15(6) or a person who is issued a collection certificate of library materials pursuant to Article 16(2) shall submit a claim for compensation prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture to the Director of the National Library of Korea if all or part of the library materials are for sale. |
| (3) | When the Director of the National Library of Korea receives a claim for compensation under paragraph (2), he or she shall compensate the amount calculated by multiplying the market price of the library materials by the number of copies of library materials deposited or collected for the user's perusal. In this case, with respect to library materials whose list price is indicated in accordance with Article 22 of the Publishing Industry Promotion Act, the list price shall be considered the market price. |
| (4) | Notwithstanding paragraph (3), if the Director of the National Library of Korea recognizes that there is a significant difference between the normal transaction price of similar materials and the market price of library materials or that it is not reasonable to compensate based on the market price, the Director of the National Library of Korea shall determine the compensation amount in consideration of the normal transaction price of similar materials, etc., after deliberation by the Review Committee. |
| (5) | If necessary for deliberation under paragraph (4), the Director of the National Library of Korea may request a person who submitted a compensation claim to submit data necessary to determine the amount of compensation. |
| (6) | Any person who has an objection to the compensation amount determined pursuant to paragraph (4) may file an objection to the Director of the National Library of Korea, as prescribed by Article 36 of the Framework Act on Administration. <Amended Jan. 27, 2026> |
| (7) | When the Director of the National Library of Korea receives an objection filed under paragraph (6), he or she shall notify the applicant of the results after deliberation by the Deliberation Committee: <Amended on Jan. 27, 2026> |
| (8) | Except as otherwise provided for in paragraphs (1) through (7), necessary matters concerning the procedures for compensation for library materials, etc. shall be prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. |
| Article 19 (Request for correction or deletion of personal information) |
| (1) | Any person who wishes to request correction or deletion of personal information pursuant to Article 22(3) of the Act shall submit a request for correction or deletion of personal information prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to the Director of the National Library of Korea. |
| (2) | When the Director of the National Library of Korea receives a request for correction or deletion pursuant to paragraph (1), he or she shall take measures for correction or deletion and send a notice of the result of correction or deletion of personal information prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to the applicant within 10 days from the date of receipt of the request. In this case, if there exists any justifiable reason not to give a notice within 10 days, the period may be extended only once by up to 10 days after giving a notice of such reason. |
| (3) | If the Director of the National Library of Korea, upon receiving a request for correction or deletion pursuant to paragraph (1), decides not to make correction or deletion or makes a decision differently from the details of the request, he or she shall send a notice of decision on the refusal of correction or deletion, stating the details of and reasons for the decision and matters concerning the procedure for appeal against the relevant decision to the claimant. |
| Article 20 (Assignment of international standard data numbers) |
| (1) | International standard data numbers referred to in Article 23(1) of the Act (hereinafter referred to as "data numbers") shall be assigned separately as the international standard book numbers and the international standard serial numbers: provided, the Director of the National Library of Korea may additionally assign additional symbols if it is necessary for the convenience of the use and distribution of materials. |
| (2) | A person who wishes to be granted a data number shall submit a data number application in the form prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to the Director of the National Library of Korea. |
| (3) | The Director of the National Library of Korea shall determine and publicly notify the object of assignment, procedure, and display method of the data number and additional symbols pursuant to the proviso of paragraph (1). |
| Article 21 (Submission of digital file data to National Library for Persons with Disabilities) |
| (1) | "Justifiable grounds prescribed by Presidential Decree" in the latter part of Article 24(3) of the Act means any of the following cases: |
| 1. | If the digital file data requested to be submitted pursuant to the first part of Article 24(3) of the Act is damaged or deleted due to hacking or computer virus, etc.; |
| 2. | If a lawsuit related to digital file data is pending. |
| (2) | When a person who publishes or produces library materials submits digital file data pursuant to the latter part of Article 24(3) of the Act, he or she shall also submit a statement on the submission of library materials for persons with disabilities in the form prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In this case, if all or part of the relevant digital file data is for sale, a compensation claim prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism may also be submitted. |
| (3) | The Director of the National Library for People with Disabilities pursuant to Article 24(1) of the Act (hereinafter referred to as "Director of the National Library for Persons with Disabilities") shall immediately issue a certificate of submission of library materials for persons with disabilities that is prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to a person who submitted digital file data pursuant to the latter part of Article 24(3) of the Act, and inform the person of a claim for compensation. |
| (4) | The standards for fair compensation under Article 24(4) of the Act shall be determined and publicly notified by the Director of the National Library for People with Disabilities. |
| (5) | Except as otherwise provided for in paragraphs (1) through (4), matters necessary for the submission of digital file data shall be determined and publicly notified by the Director of the National Library for People with Disabilities. |
CHAPTER IV PUBLIC LIBRARIES
| Article 22 (Support for metropolitan representative libraries) |
The Special Metropolitan City, Metropolitan City, Special Self-Governing City, Do, and Special Self-Governing Province (hereinafter referred to as the "City/Do") may provide support to a metropolitan representative library designated pursuant to Article 25(1) of the Act (hereinafter referred to as the "metropolitan representative library") as necessary to carry out duties as the central library of its jurisdiction.
| Article 23 (Standards for human resources, facilities, collections of metropolitan representative libraries) |
The standards for human resources, facilities, collections, etc. required for the metropolitan representative libraries in accordance with Article 25(2) of the Act are as listed in Appendix 1.
| Article 24 (Types and number of copies of library materials subject to submission) |
| (1) | The library materials that a local government shall submit to the metropolitan representative library within its jurisdiction pursuant to Article 28(1) of the Act shall be the library materials specified in each subparagraph of Article 15(1), and the number of copies of library materials to be submitted shall be 2 copies. |
| (2) | When a local government submits library materials pursuant to paragraph (1), it shall submit a statement on the submission of library materials containing a list of submitted materials. |
| Article 25 (Establishment and development of public libraries) |
| (1) | The State or local governments shall endeavor to establish the national and public libraries in places that are easily accessible to residents in accordance with Article 29(1) of the Act. |
| (2) | National and public libraries (excluding libraries under each item of Article 4(2)1 of the Act) shall foster and support small libraries (referring to the libraries under Article 4(2)1a of the Act; hereinafter the same shall apply) branches, mobile libraries, etc. according to local characteristics to serve local residents. <Amended on Sep. 12, 2023> |
| Article 26 (Prior consultation on establishment of national public library) |
| (1) | If the head of a central administrative agency intends to discuss the establishment of a national public library with the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism pursuant to Article 30(1) of the Act, he or she shall submit to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism a document containing the following matters: |
| 1. | Purpose and necessity of the establishment of a library; |
| 2. | Plan for the establishment and operation of the library; |
| 3. | Organization and capacity of the library; |
| 4. | Library site and facility specifications; |
| 5. | Collection expansion plan. |
| (2) | When the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism receives a request for consultation pursuant to paragraph (1), the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall comprehensively review the necessity of establishing a national public library, the adequacy of operation plan, and overlapping of functions with existing public libraries, and report the results of the review to the central administrative agency requesting consultation. |
| Article 27 (Preliminary feasibility assessment on establishment of public library) |
| (1) | If the head of a local government or a City/Do superintendent of education wishes to receive a preliminary feasibility assessment on the establishment of a public library (hereinafter referred to as "preliminary assessment") pursuant to Article 31(1) of the Act, he or she shall submit documents stating the matters specified in each subparagraph of Article 26(1) to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. |
| (2) | When the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism receives documents pursuant to paragraph (1), he or she shall complete the preliminary assessment within 90 days from the date of submission, and report the results to the agency requesting the preliminary assessment and the head of the relevant central administrative agency within 7 days from the date of completion of the preliminary assessment. |
| Article 28 (Registration of public libraries) |
| (1) | A person who wishes to register a public library pursuant to Article 36(1) of the Act shall submit a registration application form, attached with documents prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mayor/Do Governor, City/Do superintendent of education, or the head of a Si/Gun/Gu (the head of a Gu refers to the head of an autonomous Gu; hereinafter the same shall apply). |
| (2) | "Requirements prescribed by Presidential Decree" in the first part of Article 36(2) of the Act means the requirements for registration of public libraries under Appendix 2. |
| (3) | Any person who wishes to change matters registered pursuant to the latter part of Article 36(2) of the Act shall submit an application for modification of registration to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a Mayor/Do Governor, a City/Do superintendent of education, or the head of a Si/Gun/Gu (hereinafter referred to as the "registration office"). In this case, the registration office that receives an application for modified registration shall reflect the modifications and issue a new registration certificate pursuant to Article 36(4) of the Act. |
| (4) | In Article 36(3) of the Act, "public library below a certain size prescribed by Presidential Decree" means a public library with a library area (referring to the sum of the parts used for providing library services out of the total floor area of a library; hereinafter the same shall apply) of less than 33 square meters or that houses less than 1,000 books. |
| Article 29 (Operational evaluation of public libraries) |
| (1) | The registration office shall annually conduct an operational evaluation of public libraries pursuant to Article 37(1) of the Act (hereinafter referred to as "operational evaluation"). |
| (2) | In order to efficiently conduct an operational evaluation, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall prepare a guideline, including the basic direction-setting, criteria, and schedule of operational evaluation after deliberation by the National Library Committee, and notify the Mayor/Do Governor, City/Do superintendents of education, and the head of a Si/Gun/Gu of the guideline. |
| (3) | If the registration office intends to conduct an operational evaluation, it shall formulate an operational evaluation plan in accordance with the guidelines referred to in paragraph (2) and notify the registered public library of the plan at least 3 months prior to the date of operational evaluation. |
| (4) | When the Mayor/Do Governor, City/Do superintendent of education, and the head of a Si/Gun/Gu has conducted an operational evaluation, he or she shall submit the results of operational evaluation to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism without delay. |
| (5) | The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism may compile the results of the operational evaluation submitted pursuant to paragraph (4) and disclose them on the website of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, etc. |
| Article 30 (Detailed criteria for administrative dispositions) |
Detailed criteria for administrative dispositions under Article 38(1) of the Act are as shown in Appendix 3.
CHAPTER V LIBRARY PERSONNEL AND FACILITIES
| Article 30-2 (Convenient facilities of public libraries) |
A public library may establish and operate a cafeteria, a resting restaurant, and other convenience facilities to the extent necessary to achieve the purpose of its establishment.
[This Article Added on Sep. 12, 2023]
| Article 31 (Library Day and Library Week commemorative events) |
| (1) | In accordance with Article 42(2) of the Act, the State and local governments may hold the following commemorative events in the months in which the Library Day and the Library Week fall: |
| 1. | Library-related cultural and arts events and academic events; |
| 2. | Awards to those who have contributed to the libraries and related fields; |
| 3. | Other events for the promotion and publicity of library use. |
| (2) | The State and local governments may provide necessary support to the libraries or library-related organizations that hold commemorative events under each subparagraph of paragraph (1) on the Library Day and the Library Week. |
| (1) | The classification and requirements of the credentials for librarians pursuant to Article 43(1) of the Act are as shown in Appendix 4. |
| (2) | The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall issue a librarian certificate to a person who meets the qualification requirements for librarians under paragraph (1), as prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. |
| Article 33 (Library personnel, facilities, and materials) |
| (1) | The standards for placement of librarians pursuant to Article 45(1) of the Act are as shown in Appendix 5. |
| (2) | The standards for library facilities and library materials pursuant to Article 45(2) of the Act are as shown in Appendix 6. |
| (3) | The standards and scope of exchange, transfer, disposal, and expulsion of library materials pursuant to Article 45(3) of the Act are as shown in Appendix 7. |
CHAPTER VI SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS
| Article 34 (Public library usage fees) |
The scope of usage fees, etc. that public libraries can collect from users pursuant to Article 48(1) of the Act are as follows:
| 1. | Fees for copying library materials and using databases; |
| 2. | Fees for using private labs, conference rooms, etc.; |
| 3. | Membership card issuance fees; |
| 4. | Lecture and education fees; |
| 5. | Library admission fees (only applicable to private public libraries). |
| Article 35 (Report on Status of Management and Operation of Public Library) |
The Director of a National Public Library, a Mayor/Do Governor, a City/Do superintendent of education, or the head of a Si/Gun/Gu registered pursuant to Article 36(1) of the Act shall prepare a report on the management and operational status including the following matters in accordance with Article 49(1) of the Act and submit it to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism:
| 3. | Number of library materials. |
| Article 36 (Delegation and entrustment of authority) |
Pursuant to Article 51(1) of the Act, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall delegate the authority over the imposition and collection of administrative fines under Article 55(1) of the Act to the Director of the National Library of Korea.
| Article 37 (Processing of personally identifiable information) |
| (1) | If it is unavoidable for the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to carry out affairs related to the issuance and management of librarian certificates under Article 43(1) of the Act, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism may process data including the resident registration number or alien registration number under subparagraph 1 or 4 of Article 19 of the Enforcement Decree of the Personal Information Protection Act. |
| (2) | If it is unavoidable to perform the following affairs, the Director of the National Library of Korea may process data containing resident registration numbers pursuant to subparagraph 1 of Article 19 of the Enforcement Decree of the Personal Information Protection Act: |
| 1. | Affairs related to compensation for library materials under Article 21(3) of the Act; |
| 2. | Affairs related to compensation for online materials pursuant to Article 22(5) of the Act. |
| (3) | If it is unavoidable to carry out affairs related to compensation for library materials pursuant to Article 24(4) of the Act, the Director of the National Library for People with Disabilities may process data containing resident registration numbers pursuant to subparagraph 1 of Article 19 of the Enforcement Decree of the Personal Information Protection Act. |
| Article 37-2 (Re-examination of regulation) |
The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall examine the appropriateness of the registration requirements for public libraries pursuant to Article 28(2) and Appendix 2 every 3 years from January 1,2023 (referring to the period that ends on the day before the base date of every third year) and take measures for improvement, etc.
[This Article Added on Sep. 12, 2023]
[Moved from Article 27-2; (previous) Article 27-3 moved to Article 27-4 <May 20, 2014>]
| Article 38 (Criteria for imposition of administrative fines) |
The standards for imposing fines under Article 55(1) and (2) of the Act are as shown in Appendix 8.
ADDENDA <Presidential Decree No. 33023, Dec. 6, 2022>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Decree shall enter into force on December 8, 2022.
Article 2 (Transitional measures concerning standards for human resources, facilities, and collections of metropolitan representative libraries)
Local representative libraries designated or established pursuant to Article 22 of the previous Libraries Act (referring to the one before amendment by Act No. 18547) before the enforcement of this Decree shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements under the amended provisions of Article 23 of this Decree and Appendix 1: provided, they shall satisfy the requirements under the amended provisions of Article 23 and Appendix 1 within 2 years after the enforcement of this Decree.
Article 3 (Transitional measures concerning registration requirements for library)
National and public libraries established before the enforcement of this Decree (excluding libraries specified in each item of Article 4(2)1 of the Act; hereafter the same shall apply in this Article) shall be deemed to have satisfied the registration requirements for public libraries, notwithstanding the amended provisions of subparagraph 2a of Appendix 2: provided, in the case of new construction, expansion, or relocation of the library buildings, the amended provisions of subparagraph 2a of Appendix 2 shall apply.
Article 4 (Transitional measures concerning issuance of librarian certificate)
Any person who has been issued a librarian certificate pursuant to the previous Article 4(3) before the enforcement of this Decree shall be deemed to have been issued a librarian's certificate pursuant to the amended provisions of Article 32(2).
Article 5 Omitted.
Article 6 (Relationship to other statutes and regulations)
If the previous Enforcement Decree of the Libraries Act or its provisions are cited in other statutes or regulations at the time of enforcement of this Decree, and if there are any corresponding provisions in this Decree, this Decree or the corresponding provisions of this Decree shall be deemed cited in lieu of the previous Enforcement Decree of the Libraries Act or its provisions.
ADDENDUM <Presidential Decree No. 33712, Sep. 12, 2023>
This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA <Presidential Decree No. 34533, May 28, 2024>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation. (Proviso Omitted.)
Articles 2 through 6 Omitted.
ADDENDUM <Presidential Decree No. 35811, Oct. 1, 2025>
This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation; provided, among Presidential Decrees amended pursuant to this Decree, the amended provisions of a Presidential Decree which is promulgated before this Decree enters into force, but the enforcement date of which has yet to arrive, shall enter into force on the date such Presidential Decree enters into force.
ADDENDA <Enforcement Decree No. 35947, Dec. 30, 2025>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Decree shall enter into force on January 2, 2026; provided, among Presidential Decrees amended pursuant to Article 6 of the Addenda, the amended provisions of Presidential Decrees that were promulgated before this Decree enters into force but the enforcement dates of which have not yet arrived shall enter into force on the enforcement dates of relevant Presidential Decrees, respectively.
Articles 2 through 5 Omitted.
Article 6 Omitted.
ADDENDA <Presidential Decree No. 36054, Jan. 27, 2026>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.
Article 2 (General transitional measures concerning the period of objection)
Notwithstanding the amended provisions of Articles 1 through 8, the period for filing an objection against a disposition made before this Decree enters into force (excluding a refusal under Article 46-2 of the former Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources and Article 21-5 of the former Enforcement Decree of the Act on Resource Circulation of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles) shall be governed by the former provisions.
Article 3 (General transitional measures concerning notification period for results of objection)
Notwithstanding the amended provisions of Articles 1 through 8, the period for notifying the result of an objection filed before this Decree enters into force shall be governed by the former provisions.
Article 4 Omitted.