9 Korean picture books win national award, set sights on global readers

Nine Korean picture books were honored with the 2026 Korea Picture Book Award, signaling a boost for the industry as the government pledges assistance to expand overseas reach. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Tuesday that nine works stood out from 506 submissions for the fourth annual awards, launched in 2023 to foster development and global presence of Korean picture books. The awards ceremony is set for 2 p.m. at Ferrum Tower in central Seoul.

Two grand prizes were awarded: 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 a substantial sum of 15 million won ($10,350) and the Culture Minister's Award.

Six special awards were also presented, recognizing exceptional works by various authors. Baek Hee-na's "Gumeongcheong" received recognition, as did Kim Bok-hee and Lee Myung-ae's "The Most Wonderful Bird." Jin Eun-young and Lee Suzy's "Today Is My Birthday" and Nam Ki-rim's "All the Goodbyes in the World" were also honored. So Yoon-kyung's "Kosirong Haenyeo Table" and Kim Hyo's entry were among the other special award recipients.