"IT HAS almost been 40 years since Geulbeotbooks first opened. My husband was already running a second-hand bookstore before we got married. When I first started working here, it felt like nothing more than a job, but as our children grew up, I realized how much books influence our life and enrich imaginations. So my hope to provide others with the opportunity to broaden their insights of the world became a motivation in operating this bookstore. We sell a wide variety of items from books and historical documents to CDs and vinyl records. We have books older than 100 years old sitting on our shelves right now. Many customers enjoy visiting our bookstore because they feel like they are on a treasure hunt looking for books that are no longer being published.”

   "Our bookstore has three floors. Most of the English books are on the second floor, humanities and social science books are on the first floor, and textbook materials from elementary to high school are in the basement. There’s actually another storage room outside the bookstore but we do not reveal its location and the name of the specific books. We had to separate them to make sure they are safe from being lost or stolen as their value is immeasurable.”

   "On the left side of our building, there is a quote, 'Books are the most constant of friends.' This emphasizes the influence of books on people. In various forms of expression, such as novels, poetry, and essays, books let us go beyond our physical boundaries that we have never experienced before. We can learn so much more from reading books."

   “When we receive second-hand books from people, I usually don’t accept them all. I go through a filtering process where I decide whether these books will be beneficial or helpful for our customers. It takes time and effort to go over every book, but our customers seem to be satisfied with our selection, which makes it worth the trouble. Rather than just providing lists of bestsellers to our customers, these kinds of efforts make our store special."

   "In 2018, our bookstore was labelled as an 'ORAEGAGE' from the Seoul Metropolitan City. This name is given to places that have been run for over 30 years and preserve the traditional image of Seoul. We are really proud of the acknowledgement of our efforts to shape a portion of the city. The Seoul City even made a tour program for tourists to be more aware of stores listed as ORAEGAGE, and this helped us as it attracted a lot of customers."

   "Our location in Sinchon makes it easier for us to communicate with university students. Sinchon is surrounded by many universities, but Yonsei University students have been our main customers over the last 40 years. Students usually stop by to buy our books, but they also come to me to talk about their school life or ask for advice on all sorts of problems such as friendships, grades, or any other concerns. They feel like my own children as we share a special bond. I feel proud to watch them grow and become adults. I’ve watched them transform from lost students to professors, mothers, or fathers. I’ve also had Yonsei professors who came to our store to donate their unwanted books or to buy old documents for research purposes."

   "Online bookstores have become more common nowadays, and their convenience is undeniable. I sometimes find it easier too. However, people no longer enjoy the experience of physically picking a book from a bookstore. Just before digitalization overcame us, many customers used to come by and I really cherished the moment of talking about books with them. It was really interesting to discuss their tastes and standards when it comes to choosing books, but it is hard to share those qualities with people these days. Now, they just pick one of the best-selling books and pay without a second thought. Mostly those books end up on their shelves in pristine condition or as a coffee coaster. No matter what kind of approaches they use in buying books, either offline or online, they should become mindful readers in deciding which ones will satisfy their taste and contribute somehow in the long run."

   "In ten years, I want to change Geulbeotbooks into a book museum and café to showcase vintage books and offer customers a place where they can enjoy reading while relaxing with a cup of coffee. I want to create a comfortable environment where people can freely socialize with one another and cherish the value of reading. I appreciate all the customers that have come by and encouraged us so far, and would like to remind everyone to read more books.”