9 Korean picture books win national award, set sights on global readers
Summary
Nine Korean picture books were selected for the 2026 Korea Picture Book Award, with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism pledging export support to help the winners reach readers worldwide. The ministry chose the works from 506 entries for the fourth annual awards, established in 2023 to develop Korean picture books and expand their overseas presence. The two grand prizes went to Jeon Mi-hwa’s fiction book and Kim Ji-won’s nonfiction book. Winners will receive translation, promotional and international showcase support, including opportunities at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
Key Facts
- Each grand prize winner will receive 15 million won and the Culture Minister’s Award.
- Baek Hee-na’s Gumeongcheong and The Most Wonderful Bird by Kim Bok-hee and Lee Myung-ae will each receive 10 million won; four other special-award works will each receive 7 million won.
- Yeo Seo-yoon received the newcomer award for I Have a Song I Want to Sing for You, along with a 7 million won prize.
- The nine publishers behind the winning books will each receive 3 million won.
- The awards ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday at Ferrum Tower in central Seoul.
The cover of Jeon Mi-hwa's "To the Fish in the Sea, to the Birds in the Sky, to the Animals in the Forest, and to Humans," a 2026 Korea Picture Book Award grand prize winner / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Nine Korean picture books have been selected for the 2026 Korea Picture Book Award, with the government pledging export support to help winning authors reach readers worldwide.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday that nine works were chosen from 506 entries for the fourth annual awards, established in 2023 to promote the development of Korean picture books and expand their presence in overseas markets.
The awards ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday at Ferrum Tower in central Seoul.
The two grand prizes went to Jeon Mi-hwa's "To the Fish in the Sea, to the Birds in the Sky, to the Animals in the Forest, and to Humans" in fiction and Kim Ji-won's "Raising Earthworms" in nonfiction.
Each grand prize winner will receive 15 million won ($10,350) and the Culture Minister's Award.
The six special awards recognize works by Baek Hee-na, for "Gumeongcheong"; Kim Bok-hee and Lee Myung-ae for "The Most Wonderful Bird"; Jin Eun-young and Lee Suzy for "Today Is My Birthday"; Nam Ki-rim for "All the Goodbyes in the World"; So Yoon-kyung for "Kosirong Haenyeo Table"; and Kim Hyo-eun for "You Can Do It."
Baek's work and the book by Kim Bok-hee and Lee Myung-ae will each receive 10 million won, while the other four will each receive 7 million won.
Yeo Seo-yoon received the newcomer award for "I Have a Song I Want to Sing for You," along with a 7 million won prize.
The cover of Kim Ji-won's "Raising Earthworms," a 2026 Korea Picture Book Award grand prize winner / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
The nine publishers behind the winning books will also receive 3 million won each.
The ministry said winners will receive sample translations, promotional support, reviews and opportunities to showcase their books at major international events, including the Bologna Children's Book Fair.
"Picture books are publishing content that combines writing, illustrations and design to deliver emotion and imagination to a wide range of readers, from children to adults," said Choi Seong-hee, the ministry's director general for content industry policy.
She added, "The ministry will continue to support the creation and publication of outstanding picture books and strengthen various support measures, including translation, exports and international exchanges, so that Korean picture books can meet readers in wider markets overseas."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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