9 Korean picture books win national award, set sights on global readers
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…
Nine Korean picture books have been honored with the 2026 Korea Picture Book Award, marking the fourth annual celebration of excellence in the genre. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that these nine works emerged victorious from a pool of 506 submissions. The awards, aimed at fostering the growth of Korean picture books and broadening their global reach, will be presented on Tuesday at Ferrum Tower in central Seoul.
The grand prize winners, each receiving a substantial 15 million won ($10,350) along with the Culture Minister's Award, are Jeon Mi-hwa for her fictional work "To the Fish in the Sea, to the Birds in the Sky, to the Animals in the Forest, and to Humans" and Kim Ji-won for her nonfiction title "Raising Earthworms." Six special awards recognize outstanding contributions by Baek Hee-na, Kim Bok-hee and Lee Myung-ae, Jin Eun-young and Lee Suzy, Nam Ki-rim, So Yoon-kyung, and Kim Hyo for their respective works "Gumeongcheong," "The Most Wonderful Bird," "Today Is My Birthday," "All the Goodbyes in the World," "Kosirong Haenyeo Table," and "Kim Hyo."
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- From hanbok to K-pop: Global students celebrate Korean culture koreatimes.co.kr
