Limbo Bookstore in Gosan-myeon, Wanju-gun is a youth space commissioned by Wanju-gun. In rural areas, where the foundation for cultural enjoyment is weaker than in cities, it serves effectively as a culture center not only for young people but also for residents of various ages. The people who run Limbo Bookstore are three young activists: Kang Soyeon (Seole), Hong Mijin (Tongtong), and Yun Ji-eun.

Q. Would the three of you introduce yourselves briefly?

A. Yun Jieun - I came here, to Wanju in 2017, so it's my fifth year. Like other young people about my age in Seoul, I came here after preparing for a job, taking tests for jobs, building up specs and living like that. I didn't have any intention to settle down here. I came here a few times to visit my friend, who became a farmer after returning to his hometown, and Wanju looked so fun and a good place to live, so I decided to settle down here.

A. Hong Mijin - I came here in May, 2017. About the same time as Jieun. At first, I wasn’t interested in activities like farming, rural life, or youth culture. Seeing as I had worked for a publication company for a long time in Seoul, I decided to open a bookstore in the local area. ‘Tongtong’ is my alternate character name, a kind of a nickname. As the meaning of it suggests, I want to live very differently from others.

A. Kang Soyeon - Among the three of us, I came here first in 2013. So these two call me an ‘archaeornis’, a kind of bird-like dinosaur, meaning I’m a beginner or something. I majored in design and worked for a cultural institute in Seoul. One day while traveling my friend asked me to visit his close friend living in Wanju. I just intended to visit him, but I got fascinated with this town and decided to live here. However, I am the most recent to join the Limbo Bookstore. My alternate character name is ‘Seole’ meaning ‘fluttering,’ as I want to live with a ‘fluttering’ feeling.

Q. What does Limbo Bookstore do and how did it come about?

A. The Youth Policy Team of Social Economy Department of Wanju-gun Office launched ‘Planet Wanju’ as a core space for young people in Wanju. We are entrusted with the facility and are operating it now. This is the second store of Planet Wanju, a youth space. The first store is in Samrye and is operated as a guest house for young people, and the third will open soon as a youth start-up space in Iseo.

Q. What does ‘youth base space’ mean in detail?

A. It means exactly what it says it is. It's a place where local young people meet and hang out with each other. It's like a base or a hiding place where they come and stay without doing anything. Young people in the countryside have to be happy to live there, and to be happy, they have to be able to meet, communicate, and hang out with each other.

In the city, you can meet people and drink coffee at a cafe, but there are not many places like that in the countryside, so young people need a space to gather and interact with each other. Especially in Wanju, there are many young people who came to live here like us, but as they are not native to the area, there is no place for them to go.

Q. Then what do they do here in Limbo Bookstore?

A. They participate in the various cultural programs we run. There are many programs ready for them. For example, we prepared ‘Autumn Humanities Readings,’ a ‘Made in Public’ program of the Wanju Cultural City Support Center. We also ran ‘It’s Open When Three of You Get Together.’ We often plan and operate our own programs reflecting young people's interests and needs in this way. We also rent this space out for gatherings. But there are more people who just come and do what they want. Some people buy food and eat, and some just sit on the sofa and watch TV. It's a space where anyone can do anything. And it's not just for young people. Anyone living in Gosan or Wanju, regardless of age, from elementary school students to senior citizens, can use it. We don't like to set the standards of youth by age.

Q. Please tell us your thoughts on Limbo Bookstore and your future plans.

A. Kang Soyeon - I loved it when I first came to Limbo. It's a space where you can meet people comfortably and make relationships. This is a place where people are valued and warmly welcomed. I hope that this place will continue to establish itself as a base for connecting local people and expanding strong networks.

A. Hong Mijin - I want to make a self-reliance model with which youth cultural activities can continue with no support of local governments or public institutions. Just as honeybees in beehives can't find flowers on their own after tasting the sugar water given by humans. Now, although we are running it with public support, we will try not to lose our dream of living like a wild honeybee someday.

A. Yun Jieun - From some point on, I became called a ‘young cultural activist.’ At first, I didn't think much of it, but the more I do, the more I feel a deeper meaning and sense of calling of what I'm doing now. I'm always wary of myself becoming lost in inertia. In the future, I want to continue to meet many people in Wanju, build relationships, and exchange good influences.