Korean Picture Books Take Another Step Toward the World

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), together with the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), held the 2025 Korea Picture Book Awards ceremony on the 10th and announced a total of nine winning titles.

Now in its third year, this award is the only picture-book-specific award system in Korea that evaluates the artistic and original qualities of Korean picture books and also supports the overseas expansion of the winning works. A total of 456 submissions competed fiercely, and in the end, nine titles were honored: one Fiction Grand Prize, one Non-fiction Grand Prize, six Special Awards, and one Newcomer Award.

'Dot, Line, and Bird,' the Fiction Grand Prize winner of the Korea Picture Book Awards. Photo by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The Fiction Grand Prize winner is Dot, Line, and Bird (Cho Oh, Changbi). The work delivers deep resonance to readers through a short text containing metaphorical themes and delicate illustrations that depict the contrast between nature and human civilization. Meanwhile, the Non-fiction Grand Prize winner Oh, What Dandies! (Kim Yu-dae, Iyagikkot) was praised for presenting scientific information about beetles—small living creatures—with kindness and detail, demonstrating new possibilities for informational books.

The Special Awards included two Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Awards and four KPIPA President’s Awards, totaling six works.
The Minister’s Awards went to Kim, Crazy About Flowers (Kim Dong-sung, Boorim Publishing) and When You Touch an Elephant (Eom Jung-sun, Our School).

The KPIPA President’s Awards were presented to Memories of Architecture (Choi Kyung-sik, Oh Sori, Hong Ji-hye, Sakyejul Publishing), Friends of Gyeongbokgung (Cho Su-jin, Oheung Project), The Boy in the Bronze Helmet (So Yun-kyung, Bombyeot Publishing), and Cheers (Gong Eun-hye, Mind Hat). The Newcomer Award went to Come In (Min Byung-kwon, Gilbut Children’s Books).

'Oh, What Dandies!,' the Non-fiction Grand Prize winner of the Korea Picture Book Awards. Photo by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The winning works of the Korea Picture Book Awards will be introduced overseas through KPIPA’s K-Book platform and the monthly English webzine K-Book Trends, and they will also receive various overseas marketing support such as sample translations and participation in major international book fairs next year. This is strategic support aimed at helping Korean picture books move beyond domestic readers and advance toward the global stage.

The international achievements of Korean picture books are already notable. Lim Sung-hwan, Director of the Media Policy Bureau at MCST, said, “Korean picture books captivate global readers with their high artistic quality and originality,” adding, “This fall, we newly recommended and provided Korean picture books to the library of the Korean Cultural Center New York, and we will continue our detailed support so that Korean picture books can play a leading role in the global market.”

The winning works serve as representative examples that showcase the creative potential of Korean picture books to the world. They play the role of introducing the artistic value and informational power of Korean picture books not only to child readers but also to adult readers and publishing professionals abroad.

The Korea Picture Book Awards clearly highlights this potential and serves as a bridge connecting Korea’s creative environment with the international market.

Reported by News Culture [e-mail]