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Busan Library to Host Essay Exhibition by Writers with Mental Disabilities: "Our Neighborhood, Our People"

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Busan Library (hereinafter "the Library") announced that it will co-host the “Essay Exhibition by Writers with Mental Disabilities: Our Neighborhood, Our People” (hereinafter “the Exhibition”) with Cultural Welfare Empathy (President Kim Ju-hyeok), a nonprofit organization, for 17 days from July 2 to July 20 in the exhibition room on the library's second floor.

This year's exhibition follows a series of annual showcases: a photo-essay exhibition in 2022, a poetry-and-painting exhibition in 2023, and a watercolor and cartoon exhibition in 2024. The 2025 edition features essays written by individuals with mental disabilities.

The exhibition presents essays that capture how people with mental disabilities view the world and reflect their everyday lives with sincerity. The goal is to spread the recognition that they are familiar neighbors, just like everyone else, and to serve as a platform and stepping stone for greater social participation of people with disabilities.

Key excerpts from each essay have been displayed on boards and frames along with accompanying images. Visitors can read the full original texts using QR codes provided onsite.

The exhibition is made possible through collaboration with Cultural Welfare Empathy. The Library provided funding and the exhibition space, while Cultural Welfare Empathy contributed 41 selected works created by award-winning writers with mental disabilities from the Empathy Arts & Culture Festival.

On the first day of the exhibition, July 2 at 2:00 PM, a special event will take place at the Modeullak Theater on the library's basement level. Approximately 150 people, including staff from institutions and organizations for persons with disabilities, the participating writers, and their families, are expected to attend.

The event consists of two parts:
▲ Part 1, “Meet the Writers,” will be moderated by Yu Suk, a planning committee member of the Empathy Arts & Culture Festival. Participating authors Yang Gyeong-mo, Ha Chang-wan, and one other will speak candidly about their published books and the process of creating their featured essays.
▲ Part 2 will feature a music concert with performances by pianist Kang Dae-hyeon and guitarist Son Hyeon-jun, inviting attendees to enjoy a shared musical experience.

The exhibition will be open for 17 days, except on Mondays, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission is free for all visitors.

Cultural Welfare Empathy is dedicated to narrowing the cultural divide and promoting social inclusion by offering diverse cultural activities—such as performances, exhibitions, and travel opportunities—to underserved populations, including persons with disabilities, multicultural families, and low-income households.

The Library has a longstanding partnership with Cultural Welfare Empathy. Together, they have co-hosted various annual events: a photo-essay exhibition by writers with mental disabilities in 2022, a poetry-and-painting exhibition in 2023, and a watercolor and cartoon exhibition in 2024. In addition, the Library continuously operates reading culture programs for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Separately, the Library also runs braille education programs for the public. The first session was held on June 28, and the second session is scheduled for July 26. Additional sessions (3rd and 4th) will be held later this year. These initiatives are part of the Library’s broader efforts to increase accessibility for persons with disabilities and to foster greater understanding and empathy within the community.

For more details about the braille education program, please visit the Library’s website at library.busan.go.kr. For all other inquiries, please contact Busan Library at ☎ 051-310-5444.

Park Eun-a, Director of Busan Library, stated, “I hope this exhibition will serve as a wonderful debut for writers with disabilities and a turning point for citizens to recognize that people with disabilities are not so different from themselves.”