Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism appoints Nam Yeong-jun as National Library director

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Friday that it appointed Nam Yeong-jun, an emeritus professor at Chung-Ang University, as director of the National Library of Korea. Nam began a two-year term on Aug. 7.

Nam earned bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in library and information science from Chung-Ang University. He spent more than 30 years in education and research, beginning at Jeonju University in 1993. He joined Chung-Ang University in 2003, where he was a professor until 2025 and is now an emeritus professor.

Beyond academia, Nam served two terms as president of the Korean Library Association, sat on the Presidential Library and Information Policy Committee and chaired the National Information Disclosure Commission. His government roles also included chairing the Presidential Records Management Expert Committee under the National Archives Management Committee, leading the Ministry of Interior and Safety's data-based administration inspection group, and chairing the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's Library Policy Advisory Committee. The ministry said his work in the library sector and policy had contributed to national knowledge and information policy.

Minister Choi Hwi-young said, "Nam Yeong-jun is the right person for the job, with academic depth, understanding of library operations and policy capabilities. I expect him to strengthen the role of the National Library, which represents the country's intellectual resources, in the digital-transition era and lead innovation and future development in South Korea's library services."