I mentioned the campaign to get Koreans to read in an earlier note. With the help of Professor Doh Jung-il and others, a consensus has formed that increasing the reading of books among citizens is the best way to take Korea to the next level.
I must admit, the first efforts seemed to be a bit primitive and from an American perspective, unlikely to succeed. But I am amazed to say that the number of people reading I observe is increasing rapidly. Here are some photos from a convenience store in the Seoul Metro. There was no such pile of books available in convenience stores even a year ago. Although imperfect, Korea seems to be able to set goals for national development in a manner that seems organic and convincing, and actually works.
