Bosu-dong Book Street, Busan

Narrow lanes wind between faded stacks of books piled to the ceiling at Bosu-dong Book Street, the oldest second-hand book alley in Korea. It began as a street stall where a refugee couple sold used books laid out on cardboard boxes during the Korean War. Right next to Gukje Market, it makes an easy detour while exploring Busan's old downtown.

From a refugee book stall

When Busan became the wartime provisional capital during the Korean War, refugees poured in from across the country. A refugee couple began selling used books and magazines on cardboard here, and shops selling second-hand magazines from American soldiers and students' old study guides soon followed.

During the war, displaced schools held classes in tents on the hills behind Bosu-dong and around Gudeoksan. Students walked to class through this alley, the bookshops thrived, more refugees joined in, and the book street took shape. It peaked in the 1960s and 1970s; since then, online bookselling has cut the number of shops sharply.

What to see

• Specialist second-hand shops: each shop has its own focus: antique books, novels, study guides, comics, children's books or foreign titles. Hunting for old magazines and out-of-print books is half the fun.
• Lanes of books: towers of books stacked outside the shops give the alley its distinctive look.
• Bosu-dong Book Street Culture Center: introduces the alley's history and includes a children's library.
• Stairs and murals: the steps and walls deeper in the alley carry signs and decorations about the book street.

Good to know

• The Bosu-dong Book Street Culture Festival is held every autumn.
• A 2009 episode of the KBS documentary series "Documentary 3 Days" followed the alley for 72 hours and brought it new attention.
• The street is said to have started in the early 1950s with four shops selling used magazines from American soldiers and students' old study guides. Busan served as the provisional capital during the Korean War, and the refugees and students who flooded in made the alley grow.
• The shopkeepers share regular days off: many shops close on the first and third Sundays and around major holidays, so check ahead (Book Street Culture Center, +82 51-600-6376).
• The festival usually takes place between September and October.
• The entrance address is 67-1 Daecheong-ro, Jung-gu, Busan. Some shops stock foreign-language books, so visitors from abroad might start by looking for an English section.

Tripto tips

• Hours: opening hours and days off vary from shop to shop. Many close on Sundays and around major holidays, so a weekday afternoon is best.
• Prices: wandering is free; pricing of old books varies, so just ask.
• Getting there: there is no parking. From Jagalchi or Nampo stations on Busan Metro Line 1, walk through Gukje Market.
• Time needed: 30 minutes to an hour. Ask the owner before photographing their stock.
• Nearby: Gukje Market (about 240 m), Bupyeong Kkangtong Market and Yongdusan Park make a half-day loop of the old town.