Incheon's Baedari Secondhand Bookstore Alley bridges history, welcomes the world

Incheon’s Baedari Secondhand Bookstore Alley is being revived by booksellers who are linking its postwar used-book tradition to new international events and visitors. Kim Ji-da’s Najeun Munteok, an English bookstore that marked its second anniversary in late August, is one of eight shops now operating in the alley. The neighborhood is preparing for the Baedari Bookbridge festival on Oct. 24 and the Unknown Book Festival on Oct. 17-18. Local booksellers also continue community events such as the monthly Late-Night Bookstore series.

Baedari once had up to 50 used bookshops during its peak from the 1970s to the 1990s, but the number declined after the late 1990s Asian financial crisis.

Kwak Hyeon-suk has run Abel Bookstore continuously since 1973, except for a brief period of traveling labor work at the end of the 1970s.

Starting in 2007, Kwak held a daily one-person protest in front of Incheon City Hall for nearly three years over a planned throughroad.

The Baedari booksellers launched The Late-Night Bookstore series for the last Wednesday of each month, and the latest event took place on Aug. 26 from 7 to 10 p.m.

The Unknown Book Festival will take place Oct. 17-18 and will feature an English-language program for the first time, according to organizer Kim Hae-ri.

Published Sep 24, 2026 11:50 am KST

Kim Ji-da, owner of Najeun Munteok bookstore, stands in front of her store in Incheon's Baedari neighborhood, Aug. 5. Courtesy of Anastasia Traynin

INCHEON — When Incheon native Kim Ji-da opened an English bookstore in the Baedari Secondhand Bookstore Alley in the city’s eastern district, she joined a multigenerational used bookseller tradition that stretches back to the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. Marking its second anniversary at the end of August, Kim's Najeun Munteok is one of eight bookstores currently operating in the alley.

As a longtime English teacher and reading club organizer who also goes by her chosen French name Sophie, Kim understands the challenge that English books pose to Korean readers. Her store features many titles for adults and children. She named her store Najeun Munteok — meaning low threshold — to reflect accessibility and an open community spirit.

“I never dreamed of opening my bookstore as a business,” Kim said. “Though it’s hard to make a profit and manage everything, I was inspired by the booksellers here and their love for books. I like to communicate through reading and talking about books, and it’s also very rewarding to introduce good books to others. So I am happy with my job now.”

Kim hopes to attract more international residents and travelers to Baedari, a historic neighborhood whose name is associated with a boat bridge that once spanned a tidal channel in the area, when seawater reached much farther inland than it does today.

“Unlike other places around Seoul which are already developed, this place has a lot of interesting history that I want to share with Koreans and also foreign friends," she said. “Some local people consider this area as a slum, but I want to hold diverse events to remind us of its value.”

During an early August heat wave, there were still a number of local tourists who had come specifically to snap photographs of one of the alley’s oldest bookstores, Hanmi Books, which first opened in 1953 and has been used as a well-known filming location. Kim jokingly recalled the owner once telling her, “I don’t have many customers. I have many tourists.”

Kwak Hyeon-suk, left, and Kim Ji-da stand in front of Abel Bookstore in Incheon's Baedari neighborhood, Aug. 5. Courtesy of Anastasia Traynin

Najeun Munteok’s building is owned by Kwak Hyeon-suk, the founder of Abel Bookstore, who, apart from a brief stint in traveling labor work at the end of the 1970s, has run her historic used bookshop continuously since 1973. The name Abel draws from her strong Christian heritage and reflects her idea of keeping her pure original intention. While Hanmi Books and others are run by the original owners’ children, Kwak, 76, has no heirs or plans to transfer ownership.

“It’s not easy to pass down the bookstore to anyone who doesn’t have the love for and experience with books,” Kwak said. “I’ve invested my whole life into this bookshop, and I want to encourage more people to open their own.”

Her contagious spirit worked on Kim. “Anyone who meets [Ms. Kwak] can feel her energy,” Kim said. “I was particularly attracted to the building she owned and renovated herself. So I got up the courage to try opening a bookstore here.”

Kwak Hyeon-suk, founder of Abel Bookstore, speaks in Incheon's Baedari neighborhood, Aug. 5. Courtesy of Anastasia Traynin

At its peak throughout the 1970s to 1990s, Baedari counted up to 50 used bookshops, but that number began to decline during the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s.

After settling into her seventh and final location in the alley in 1995, Kwak participated in a movement to preserve the area from encroaching development. Starting in 2007, she held a daily one-person protest in front of Incheon City Hall for nearly three years, calling for a planned throughroad to be constructed as an underpass instead of cutting through the Baedari neighborhood.

The same year, Abel Bookstore opened a regular community poetry festival under the slogan “You Are All Poets,” which ran until 2025. Through Kwak’s and others’ efforts, Baedari Book Alley was saved and is now promoted by the local government as a culture and art street. In an era of franchise online bookstores and a decline in public literacy and bookbuying, Kwak continues to spread her philosophy of books to the next generation.

“Promoting a bookstore is done mainly by word of mouth,” she said. “For teenagers and adults, I want to teach people one by one the importance of reading and educating yourself. Sometimes I feel lonely because I’m not so flexible to others, but I receive energy from the books.”

Women of many generations gather at Nabi Nalda bookstore in Incheon's Baedari neighborhood, July 29. Courtesy of Anastasia Traynin

Though not all the Baedari booksellers are women, the multigenerational presence of woman-owned bookshops stands out in this area. Besides her own dedication to books and reading, Kwak was inspired by the legacy left by the legendary Korean novelist Park Kyung-ni (1926-2008), best known for the 21-volume "Toji" (Land), who briefly ran a small secondhand bookshop in Baedari in the years leading up to the Korean War. A second-floor corner of Abel Bookstore is dedicated to Park’s memory.

Kwak Hyeon-suk, founder of Abel Bookstore, stands in front of a memorial library dedicated to author Park Kyung-ni in Incheon's Baedari neighborhood, Aug. 5. Courtesy of Anastasia Traynin

Rather than competing for customers, the eight booksellers in Baedari cooperate on preserving and promoting their community. To give day workers a chance to visit their shops on weekday evenings, they have launched a series called The Late-Night Bookstore for the last Wednesday of each month. The inaugural event took place July 29 in the form of a travel suitcase-themed street flea market in the alley outside Nabi Nalda Bookstore, which has operated in Baedari since 2009.

“We wanted to bring more people together to visit our shops, and I proposed to host the first one,” said Nabi Nalda Bookstore owner Cheongsan Byeolgok, a nickname from a traditional folk song of the same name meaning “Song of the Green Mountains.”

Cheongsan Byeolgok stands in front of her bookstore, Nabi Nalda, in Incheon's Baedari neighborhood, July 29. Courtesy of Anastasia Traynin

Known as the local “cat bookstore” that was previously unmanned with an in-store cat as its “manager,” Nabi Nalda focuses on selling environment and social justice-themed books. On March 26, more than 100 community members formed a human chain to manually transport 10,000 books to the shop’s fourth and current location, a former general store owned by an elderly local woman. Retaining the store’s exterior, signboard, as well as the garden tended to by the original owner, Cheongsan Byeolgok aims to preserve the alley neighborhood spirit while attracting new visitors.

As for Kim, she is preparing for the Baedari Bookbridge, a first-of-its-kind local international bookshop festival set to take place Oct. 24, that will bring together independent bookshops from across Asia. The project is funded solely through community support and volunteer efforts of the involved booksellers and local community.

“While traveling throughout Asia, I met several bookshop owners who liked what I was doing and wanted to visit,” Kim said. “At first, I was just stopping by because I liked books, but as I visited more and more shops, I was very interested and inspired to connect together.”

“With the help of Ms. Kwak who supported and sponsored the project, I could invite booksellers from Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand. I want more people to come here and be inspired by the Baedari booksellers’ philosophies,” Kim added.

A flea market is held in front of Nabi Nalda bookstore in Incheon's Baedari neighborhood, July 29. Courtesy of Anastasia Traynin

The latest Wednesday late-night bookstore took place from 7 to 10 p.m. on Aug. 26 with three separate events at Nabi Nalda Bookstore, M.S. Book Cafe and Najeun Munteok. The latter hosted Seoul-based South African poet Manthipe Moila for a conversation about her 2025 poetry collection " Rootbound ."

The next Wednesday event will take place Sept. 30 with special programs to be announced.

Building momentum ahead of the Baedari Bookbridge event, Kim will participate as an English-language tour guide during the third annual Unknown Book Festival that will take place in the area Oct. 17-18. The festival is run by the multipurpose cultural space Patchwork Baedari that opened in 2021.

According to organizer Kim Hae-ri, this year’s festival will be the first to feature an English-language program.

“We had an unexpectedly large number of international visitors last year and were lucky to have someone in the local community to help us envision an English tour,” she said.

Beyond the English tour, the Unknown Book Festival will feature visiting residency artists from Thailand. Other events open to visitors include a book market with creators from all over Korea taking place at Incheon’s historic 100-year-old Changyoung Elementary School, as well as a DJ booth, a table for making DIY zines and other hands-on crafts, and a market with various delicacies.

Patchwork Baedari shares the local booksellers’ goal of revitalizing the secondhand bookstore alley, through the introduction of a roasting cafe, gallery, store and community space.

“Our role is acting as a catalyst for bringing more people to this alley which has grown quiet in recent years,” she said.

Visit patchwork.incheon.kr for more information and to make reservations for the Unknown Book Festival.

For more updates on the Baedari Bookbridge project and Najeun Munteok, follow the Instagram accounts @baedari_bookbridge and @sophie.bookshelf .

Anastasia Traynin is a writer, editor, translator and teacher based in Seoul.

仁川的白樫二手书街正在复兴，书商们将战后二手书的传统与新的国际活动和游客联系起来。金智多的英文书店“罗珍文德”（Najeun Munteok）于八月下旬庆祝了开业两周年，是目前在白樫二手书街营业的八家书店之一。该地区正在为10月24日的白樫书桥节和10月17日至18日的“未知书展”做准备。当地书商也继续举办社区活动，例如每月一次的“深夜书店”系列活动。

从 20 世纪 70 年代到 90 年代，Baedari 鼎盛时期曾拥有多达 50 家二手书店，但在 20 世纪 90 年代末的亚洲金融危机之后，书店数量有所下降。

除了在 20 世纪 70 年代末短暂从事过一段时间的流动劳动外，郭贤硕自 1973 年以来一直经营着 Abel 书店。

从 2007 年开始，郭某每天独自一人在仁川市政厅前进行抗议，持续了近三年，抗议修建一条贯穿城市的道路。

巴达里书店每月最后一个星期三推出“深夜书店”系列活动，最近一次活动于8月26日晚上7点至10点举行。

据组织者金海莉介绍，未知图书节将于10月17日至18日举行，并将首次推出英语节目。

发布于2026年9月24日上午11:50（韩国标准时间）

8月5日，仁川百达里洞，罗珍文德书店老板金智多站在自家书店前。图片由Anastasia Traynin提供。

仁川——当仁川本地人金智多在仁川市东部的巴达里二手书店巷开设一家英文书店时，她加入了这条可以追溯到1950-53年朝鲜战争结束的世代相传的二手书店传统。金智多的“罗珍文德”书店将于8月底迎来两周年纪念日，它是目前这条巷子里八家仍在营业的书店之一。

金女士是一位资深的英语教师和读书俱乐部组织者，她也使用自己选择的法语名字Sophie。她深知英语书籍对韩国读者来说是一项挑战。她的书店里有很多面向成人和儿童的书籍。她将书店命名为“Najeun Munteok”（意为“低门槛”），旨在体现书店的亲民性和开放的社区精神。

“我从未想过要开书店，”金说。“虽然盈利和管理所有事情都很困难，但我受到了这里书商们的启发，他们热爱书籍。我喜欢通过阅读和谈论书籍来交流，把好书介绍给别人也很有成就感。所以我现在很满意我的工作。”

金希望吸引更多国际居民和游客来到巴达里，这是一个历史悠久的街区，其名称与一座曾经横跨该地区潮汐水道的船桥有关，当时海水比现在更深入内陆。

“与首尔周边其他已经开发完善的地区不同，这里有很多有趣的历史，我想与韩国人和外国朋友分享，”她说。“一些当地人认为这里是贫民窟，但我希望举办各种各样的活动，让大家重新认识到它的价值。”

八月初的热浪中，仍有不少当地游客专程前来拍摄这条巷子里最古老的书店之一——韩美书店。这家书店始建于1953年，曾是著名的影视拍摄地。金女士开玩笑地回忆起店主曾经对她说：“我没什么顾客，只有游客。”

8月5日，郭贤硕（左）和金智多站在仁川白达里洞的Abel书店前。图片由Anastasia Traynin提供。

娜珍文德所在的建筑属于郭贤淑所有，她是亚伯书店的创始人。除了上世纪70年代末短暂从事过流动劳工工作外，郭贤淑自1973年以来一直经营着这家历史悠久的二手书店。书店名为“亚伯”，源于她深厚的基督教信仰，也体现了她坚持初心的理念。虽然韩美书店等其他书店由原店主的子女经营，但现年76岁的郭贤淑没有继承人，也没有转让书店所有权的计划。

“要把书店交给一个对书籍没有热爱和经验的人并不容易，”郭先生说。“我把毕生精力都投入到这家书店里，我希望鼓励更多的人开自己的书店。”

她那充满感染力的精神打动了金。“任何见过郭女士的人都能感受到她的活力，”金说。“我尤其被她自己拥有并翻新的那栋楼所吸引。所以我鼓起勇气，尝试在这里开一家书店。”

8月5日，Abel书店创始人郭贤硕在仁川白达里街区发表演讲。图片由Anastasia Traynin提供。

在 20 世纪 70 年代至 90 年代的鼎盛时期，Baedari 拥有多达 50 家二手书店，但在 20 世纪 90 年代末的亚洲金融危机期间，这一数字开始下降。

1995年，郭女士在巷子里安顿下来，这是她的第七个也是最后一个住处。之后，她积极参与了一场保护该地区免受开发侵占的运动。从2007年开始，她每天独自一人在仁川市政厅前进行抗议，持续了近三年，呼吁将规划中的道路改为地下通道，而不是穿过白达里社区。

同年，阿贝尔书店以“人人皆诗人”为口号，创办了定期举办的社区诗歌节，一直持续到2025年。在郭女士和其他人的努力下，巴达里书街得以保留，如今已被当地政府打造为文化艺术街。在连锁网店盛行、公众识字率和购书量下降的时代，郭女士依然坚持将她的读书理念传递给下一代。

“书店的宣传主要靠口碑，”她说。“我想逐一向青少年和成年人普及阅读和自我教育的重要性。有时我会感到孤独，因为我不太善于与人交往，但我能从书中汲取能量。”

7月29日，不同年龄段的女性聚集在仁川百达里洞的Nabi Nalda书店。图片由Anastasia Traynin提供。

虽然并非所有白达里书店的店主都是女性，但女性经营的书店世代相传的景象在该地区尤为引人注目。除了自身对书籍和阅读的热爱之外，郭女士还深受韩国传奇小说家朴京丽（1926-2008）的启发。朴京丽最著名的作品是21卷本的《土地》。在朝鲜战争爆发前的几年里，她曾在白达里短暂经营过一家小型二手书店。阿贝尔书店二楼的一个角落专门用来纪念朴京丽。

8月5日，Abel书店创始人郭贤硕站在仁川百达里洞为纪念作家朴京丽而建的纪念图书馆前。图片由Anastasia Traynin提供。

巴达里镇的八家书店并非为了争夺顾客而相互竞争，而是携手合作，共同维护和推广他们的社区。为了让白天上班的人们有机会在工作日的晚上光顾他们的书店，他们每月最后一个星期三推出名为“深夜书店”的系列活动。首场活动于7月29日举行，形式是在纳比·纳尔达书店（Nabi Nalda Bookstore）外的小巷里举办的，主题是旅行箱，纳比·纳尔达书店自2009年起就在巴达里镇经营。

“我们想吸引更多人来我们店里逛逛，所以我提议举办第一次活动，”Nabi Nalda 书店的老板青山星谷说道，这个昵称源自一首同名的传统民歌，意思是“青山之歌”。

7月29日，清山星谷站在仁川百达里街区自家书店“娜比娜达”前。图片由Anastasia Traynin提供。

纳比·纳尔达书店（Nabi Nalda）曾是一家无人值守的“猫书店”，店内一只猫咪担任“店长”。这家书店专注于销售环境和社会正义主题的书籍。3月26日，一百多位社区居民组成人链，将一万册书籍手工搬运至书店的第四个也是目前的店址——一家由当地一位老妇人经营的旧杂货店。清山星谷书店保留了原店的外观、招牌以及原店主精心照料的花园，旨在传承巷弄的邻里情调，同时吸引更多新顾客。

至于金女士，她正在为10月24日举行的“巴达里书桥”活动做准备。这是首个本地国际书店节，届时将汇聚来自亚洲各地的独立书店。该项目完全依靠参与书商和当地社区的社区支持和志愿者努力来筹资。

“在亚洲旅行期间，我遇到了几位书店老板，他们很欣赏我的工作，并想来拜访，”金说。“起初，我只是因为喜欢书才顺道拜访，但随着我拜访的书店越来越多，我越来越有兴趣与他们建立联系。”

“在郭女士的支持和赞助下，我得以邀请来自越南、香港、台湾和泰国的书商。我希望更多的人来到这里，从巴达里书商的理念中汲取灵感，”金补充道。

7月29日，仁川百达里洞的纳比纳尔达书店门前举办跳蚤市场。图片由Anastasia Traynin提供。

最新一期的周三深夜书店活动于8月26日晚7点至10点举行，在Nabi Nalda书店、MS Book Cafe和Najeun Munteok三家书店分别举办了三场活动。其中，Najeun Munteok邀请了居住在首尔的南非诗人Manthipe Moila，就其2025年出版的诗集《Rootbound》展开对话。

下一次周三活动将于9月30日举行，届时将公布特别节目安排。

在 Baedari Bookbridge 活动举办前夕，Kim 将作为英语导游参加 10 月 17 日至 18 日在该地区举行的第三届年度未知书籍节。该节日由 2021 年开业的多功能文化空间 Patchwork Ba​​edari 主办。

据主办方金海莉介绍，今年的电影节将是首次推出英语节目。

她说：“去年我们接待了数量远超预期的国际游客，幸运的是，当地社区有人帮助我们构思了英语导览。”

除了英语巡回展之外，“未知书展”还将邀请来自泰国的驻场艺术家进行创作。其他面向游客开放的活动包括在仁川百年历史的昌荣小学举办的韩国各地创作者书市，以及DJ台、DIY杂志和其他手工艺品制作区，还有各种美食市集。

Patchwork Ba​​edari 与当地书商的目标一致，即通过引入烘焙咖啡馆、画廊、商店和社区空间来振兴二手书店街。

“我们的作用是起到催化剂的作用，吸引更多的人来到这条近年来变得冷清的小巷，”她说。

访问 patchwork.incheon.kr 了解更多信息并预订未知图书节。

有关 Baedari Bookbridge 项目和 Najeun Munteok 的更多最新信息，请关注 Instagram 账号 @baedari_bookbridge 和 @sophie.bookshelf。

Anastasia Traynin是一位居住在首尔的作家、编辑、翻译和教师。