책 (冊) is borrowed from Classical Chinese 冊 (cè), meaning a bound collection of written documents. The Chinese character itself originally depicted bamboo strips tied together with string — the earliest form of East Asian books. The word entered Korean through centuries of literary and administrative exchange with China.

South Korea has one of the world's highest literacy rates and a strong book culture. The annual Seoul International Book Fair (서울국제도서전) draws massive crowds. Korean students are also famous for their intense study culture, so 책 is one of the most visible objects in everyday Korean life — found in schools, cafés, and the iconic 독서실 (study rooms open late into the night). Note: 책 is not a false friend, but beginners sometimes confuse 책 (book) with 책상 (desk) — the latter literally means "book table," a handy connection to remember!