Ministry of National Defense, Promotes ‘One Gun, One Book’ Reading Project,
An Kyoo-back, Minister of National Defense, delivered a special lecture on leadership enhancement to naval and marine corps commanders aboard the Navy Marado ship at the Naval Operations Command in Busan on the 16th of last month. Provided by the Ministry of National Defense.
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The Ministry of National Defense announced that it will promote the ‘One Gun, One Book’ project to encourage reading within the military as part of a nationwide reading promotion campaign ‘Reading Korea 2026’ in conjunction with Library Day on April 12 and World Book Day on April 23.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, ‘One Gun, One Book’ combines the concept of a ‘gun,’ symbolizing the military’s primary duty, and a ‘book,’ symbolizing knowledge, culture, and future preparedness. The initiative aims to support the 205,000 youths conscripted into the military each year to use their service period as a time for both fulfilling national defense duties and personal growth through reading.
The Ministry plans to implement step-by-step action plans to help soldiers naturally develop reading habits and gain a sense of achievement during their service. Starting in the latter half of this year, recruits will be encouraged to bring their ‘life book’ or a ‘future book’ they wish to read when they enter basic training to motivate their reading interests. Professional instructors will provide reading coaching, and rewards such as a one-day leave for writing book reports will offer a ‘reading achievement experience.’
Since February, the Ministry has also implemented a customized e-book support program, providing 128,000 KRW (for the full service period) for book purchases. Minister An intends to conduct reading lectures for commanders and add reading coaching education to the mid-to-senior commander management courses to enable commanders to lead the military reading culture.
Minister An emphasized the timeless value of classics, which contain wisdom that transcends generations, stating, “The reading habits formed in the military will continue post-discharge, enhancing individual competencies and bolstering South Korea’s national competitiveness.” He added, “We will actively support service members as they explore their aspirations and career paths through reading, making their military service a time of intellectual advancement and future planning.”