Fully Booked: Starfield Library @ COEX

On my first weekend ever in South Korea about 13 years ago, I took the subway and headed to COEX Mall. That time, I just roamed around the mall and familiarized myself with its floor plan as well as the Korean films showing there that weekend.

And over the years, I have been coming back to the COEX Mall in the Gangnam District to meet up and hang out with friends, and would you believe, to see Brad Pitt in person! Yes, thanks to friends, I got to watch Brad's movie premiere of Moneyball at Megabox Cinema with Brad introducing us to his movie that night.

There are only three huge malls in Seoul, I think. Let's count: iPark Mall in my neighborhood in Yongsan-gu (where I saw in person Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage), Times Square Mall in Yeongdeungpo-gu (where I saw Angelina Jolie and Matt Damon), and COEX Mall (where I saw Brad Pitt). COEX, by the way, stands for COnvention and EXhibition because the huge halls inside COEX host a lot of international conventions and exhibitions.

Starfield COEX Mall is a few steps 

away from Exit 6 of Samseong Station (Line 2).

But after a makeover a couple of years ago, this huge underground shopping mall introduced literacy! 

Yes, to the owners of COEX Starfield Mall, shopping isn't just about clothes, food, and cosmetics - things that feed one's vanity - but also about books! Things that feed one's mind!

So they put up this gargantuan library right in the the middle of the mall. Byeolmadang Library boasts of 50,000 books displayed on 13-meter high shelves. Thirteen freakin' meters! You'd probably need a giant librarian to get to the highest slot!

Anyone can use the library as it has seats, tables and electrical outlets! Books and magazines can be borrowed, read, and purchased as well. Although I would have wanted to sit there and read, getting a seat was a challenge as it's always full especially during weekends!

But if you get there early in the morning, or head there late evening, I am sure you can get a good seat, although I wonder if you can actually read or study. You'll probably be just fascinated by the architecture and the atmosphere of the place, or get distracted by people taking photos (like me!) or selfies (like everyone else!).😆

So if you're touring Seoul, you can add this interesting space in your itinerary. 

You can read, shop, or simply relax!😊