VOL.93/2026.04

Korean Authors

 

Master of Children's Literature Lee Geum-yi:
Her Story on Children’s and Young Adult Literature

 

 

2026.04

 

 

 

We are interviewing author Lee Geum-yi, who has been named a finalist for the Hans Christian Andersen Award (HCAA)—often referred to as the "Nobel Prize for Children's Literature"—in the Writing category for the second time, following her 2024 nomination. Lee Geum-yi is a master of children’s and young adult (YA) literature representing Korea. Her extensive body of work includes beloved children’s books such as You Too Are a Twilight Lily and the Bamtee Village Story series, as well as the YA novel Yujin and Yujin and the Korean Female Diaspora Trilogy.

 

 

 

 

 

Q. What was the special inspiration that led you to write children's literature?

 

When I was a child, I wasn't particularly good at anything. I didn't mingle well with my friends and usually spent my time reading books quietly by myself. Back when I was in elementary school, there weren't many creative Korean fairy tales for children, so I naturally ended up reading foreign classics like Heidi, A Little Princess, and Little Women.

 

In those stories that traveled across time and space to find me, I felt immense comfort, joy, and happiness. While reading, I was never alone; I realized that children with hearts similar to mine existed somewhere in the world. That was when I began to dream of becoming a writer. Later, as an adult practicing my craft, I clearly realized what kind of stories I truly wanted to tell. It was "children's stories," where both the protagonist and the reader are children. Just as the characters and stories in those books gave my young self comfort, courage, and growth, I wanted to write stories that could be a "small light" in someone else’s childhood.

 

 

 

 

Q. What do you believe is the unique value and charm that only children's literature can provide?

 

The fairy tales I read as a child shared a common characteristic. They were stories about children—beings who are socially small and powerless—facing various difficult situations, yet living through them with innocence and strong vitality to eventually find happiness and hope. Through those stories, I was able to learn faith in humanity, including myself, and hope for the world.

 

I still believe that this is the power and charm that only children's literature can offer. Children's literature does not stop at simply giving lessons or explaining the world to young readers; it helps them realize their own strength and value. Furthermore, I believe children's literature holds significant meaning for adults as well. Good children's literature reawakens the childhood senses remaining within us and our fundamental trust in humanity. Therefore, when we read children's stories, we encounter more fundamental questions about humans and the world.

 

When I write my works, rather than viewing children merely as beings who need protection, I want to portray them as beings who make us see the world anew—and sometimes understand life even more deeply than adults do. Through such stories, I hope readers can rediscover hope in humanity and life.

 

 

 

 

Q. What do you believe is the power in your writing that allows it to transcend national and cultural boundaries to offer empathy and comfort to readers?

 

I believe the reason my stories can reach people across borders and cultures is that, ultimately, the human heart is not that different. Although our languages, cultures, and historical experiences vary, the feelings of loneliness, fear, and pain—and the desire to be understood by someone—are universal.

 

Can’t I Go Instead?, The Picture Bride, and Chasm of Sorrow form a trilogy depicting the diaspora of Korean women set during the Japanese colonial period. In these stories, which portray the individual and unique lives of Korean women salvaged from between the lines of history, global readers seem to discover their own histories and experiences. To be honest, I don’t specifically keep a global audience in mind when I write. Instead, I strive to look deeply into the hearts of my characters. I believe readers find empathy and comfort by experiencing the pain, sorrow, happiness, and hope alongside the characters I’ve created in that way.

 

 

 

 

 

Q. Is there a specific message you always strive to include in your writing? Please share the core message you value most when you write.

 

The primary readers of my work are children and adolescents. Children have the right to be loved simply for who they are, and adults and society have a duty to love, protect, and support their lives. However, children often feel that they are more recognized or loved only when they excel in their studies, behave well, or meet certain expectations. Through all my stories, I want to tell them that they are already precious beings, regardless of such conditions.

 

Another value I hold dear is the dignity of life. There are diverse ways of living in this world, and I believe that every life, in any form, has a great and sublime meaning. Even when the characters in my works waver in the face of pain and despair, or appear to have achieved nothing in the eyes of others, they never lose their humanity and continue to live their own lives. Through the lives these characters endure and embrace, I hope my readers can feel that their own lives are also precious and great.

 

 

 

 

Q. Could you share a word for the readers who love you and your writing?

 

I often meet readers who were once children but have now become adults. The Bamtee Village Story series, which first appeared in 1994, is a work where sequels were continued due to the passionate requests of readers. As a token of gratitude for the steady love shown over 30 years, I wrote the fourth book, Mari in Bamtee Village, in 2024.

 

Whenever I meet readers who have become parents or teachers and tell me they are now reading my books with their own children, I cannot express how joyful and happy I am as a writer. It is a profound honor for an author to see a single book pass through one person’s childhood and continue to be read by another generation. Perhaps this is the very strength that keeps me writing.

 

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the readers who have read my works. In the future, I want to continue writing stories that remain in someone’s heart for a long time, offering comfort, courage, and a small spark of hope. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

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Written by Lee Geum-yi (Author)

She began her literary career in 1984, during a period of new exploration in Korean children's literature, and has since published over 50 books. For more than 40 years, she has led the growth of domestic children's literature and the birth and expansion of young adult literature. Her works, spanning from children's books to adult novels, have captured the hearts of both readers and critics. In 2024, she was selected as a finalist for the Hans Christian Andersen Award (HCAA) in the Writing category. leegeumyi.com