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Former President Moon Jae-in greets visitors to his bookshop in Pyeongsan, a village in the South Gyeongsang Province city of Yangsan. (pool photo)

A sign unveiling ceremony was held for former President Moon Jae-in’s new bookstore, Pyeongsan Books, on Tuesday.

The former president held a private ceremony to celebrate the soft opening of the bookshop on the drizzly spring day in the village of Pyeongsan in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province. Kicking off at 5 pm, the event gathered village locals and elders and provided food to celebrate the soon-to-be-open shop.

Former President Moon Jae-in speaks to staff at his bookshop in Pyeongsan, a village in the South Gyeongsang Province city of Yangsan on April 25. (Baek So-ah/The Hankyoreh)

Moon erected the bookstore with his own private funds.

Though quiet and calm in the morning during the rain, as the event neared, people began to gather around the shop. Moon showed up early to greet the visitors.

Outside the security perimeter, members of conservative groups criticized Moon’s opening of a bookstore.

A customer peruses books at Moon Jae-in’s bookshop in Pyeongsan, a village in the South Gyeongsang Province city of Yangsan on April 25. (Baek So-ah/The Hankyoreh)

While the sign is up on the shop, it will reportedly be a while before it opens for business in earnest. A few administrative procedures, such as changing the articles of association of Moon’s Pyeongsang Books Foundation to allow for the sale of books, remain.

A known bookworm, Moon continued to introduce and recommend books he was reading on his social media channels after leaving office last year. His shop will showcase books the president has enjoyed from his own collection as well as donated books. The shop will both sell and lend books.

Moon plans to operate an online book club as he runs the bookshop.

Moon and his wife Kim Jung-sook toast cups of makgeolli, a rice wine, with local residents after the signboard-hanging ceremony at the former president’s bookshop in Pyeongsan, a village in the South Gyeongsang Province city of Yangsan on April 25. (Baek So-ah/The Hankyoreh)

Exterior of the former president’s bookshop in Pyeongsan, a village in the South Gyeongsang Province city of Yangsan on April 25. (Baek So-ah/The Hankyoreh)

Moon speaks to a customer at his bookshop in Pyeongsan, a village in the South Gyeongsang Province city of Yangsan on April 25. (Baek So-ah/The Hankyoreh)

Moon and village residents pose for a photo after the unveiling of the sign for the former president’s bookshop in Pyeongsan, a village in the South Gyeongsang Province city of Yangsan on April 25. (Baek So-ah/The Hankyoreh)

Interior of the former president’s bookshop in Pyeongsan, a village in the South Gyeongsang Province city of Yangsan on April 25. (Baek So-ah/The Hankyoreh)

Kim Jung-sook, the former first lady, shakes hands with a visitor outside the former president’s bookshop in Pyeongsan, a village in the South Gyeongsang Province city of Yangsan on April 25. (pool photo)

Moon unveils the sign for Pyeongsan Books on April 25. (Baek So-ah/The Hankyoreh)

By Baek So-ah, staff reporter

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