VOL.93/2026.04

 

The Expansion of Korea’s Picture Book Market

 

2026.01.05

 

At some point, Korean picture books began making headlines. Korean authors are now frequent winners of Italy’s Bologna Ragazzi Award, one of the most prestigious prizes in the field. They have also produced award recipients of the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB) Award?one of the world’s oldest international picture book festivals, launched in 1967?as well as Sweden’s Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, often described as the Nobel Prize in children’s literature; the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest honor bestowed upon authors and illustrators of children’s literature; and France’s most prestigious children’s literature prize, the Prix Sorci?res. Plus, countless Korean picture books have been exported to countries around the world, earning the love of readers internationally. Most importantly, picture books have become central to Korea’s reading culture, bringing the joy of books to every generation, from children to adults. How, then, did all of this become possible?

 

Picture book-reading adults become picture book authors

 

The Korean picture book market initially grew as parents read picture books to their children for educational purposes. Yet, the true beneficiaries were, in fact, adults. Through their children, adults began reading picture books themselves?and soon came to an important realization: picture books are an engaging and beautiful visual art, much like film or theater. Children, in their innocence, read through experience itself. Adults, by contrast, are moved, inspired, and led to moments of insight. Parents who gained such realizations through picture books went on to form picture book reading groups and establish small libraries. Notable examples include the Korean Children’s Book Association and the Child and Small Library Association. In addition, the Book Culture Foundation’s Book Start program and the Miracle Library (기적의 도서관) initiative also made significant contributions to the spread of picture book culture.

 

 

According to one study, the publication of original Korean picture books surged from just one title in 1988 to 445 titles in 2019. The starting point of this growth can be traced to the 1990s. Until the mid-1990s, the Korean picture book market was largely dominated by imported titles. Original domestic picture books were difficult to find, and well-known works from the English-speaking world and Japan prevailed in the market. Parents with a strong emphasis on their children’s education were particularly enthusiastic about imported picture books. These books, in turn, helped restore a sense of expressive freedom and joy not only for children but also, quite naturally, for Korean parents themselves. At the same time, they planted the seeds of creative aspiration. Despite their brevity, picture books?visual art forms that combine images with narrative to deliver enjoyment, emotional resonance, and even moral insight?sparked new creative inspiration. Among the adults who read picture books in this way, some went on to become picture book activists or picture book creators, beginning to transform their own lives into picture books. From the late 1990s onward, this group grew explosively and emerged as the central driving force behind Korea’s original picture book market.

 

The emergence of picture book-specialized publishers and bookstores

 

As more people became captivated by the appeal of picture books, they began establishing publishing houses dedicated exclusively to the genre. Many of them had previously worked as editors, sales managers, or designers at large publishing companies, though some came from freelance writing backgrounds or entirely different fields. Picture book publishers such as BookGoodCome, Iyagikot, and Borim Press organized workshops, nurtured new creators, published picture books, and made their way to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. When I first attended the fair in 2011, only around 10 Korean picture book publishers participated in the Korean pavilion. By 2025, however, that number had grown to more than forty. At a time when the global publishing market has slowed, and international fairs have generally contracted in scale, Korea has seen a more than fourfold increase in participating publishers over the past 14 years.
From the 2010s onward, the “independent bookstore boom” began to take shape. Independent bookstores refer to curated spaces built around the tastes and interests of their owners, often specializing in particular genres. While most existing bookstores across the country had traditionally focused on textbooks, bestselling titles, and stationery, the rise of independent bookstores paved the way for the emergence of picture book?specialized shops. Bookstores such as Yrurybooks, Noranusan, and Kamome Picture Book Store positioned picture books not merely as children’s reading material, but as an art form, primarily targeting adult readers. In this way, picture books came to be recognized as art for everyone. Today, there are approximately 2,500 bookstores nationwide. Of these, around 1,000 are independent bookstores, and roughly fifty specialize in picture books?a number that continues to grow. Importantly, picture books are already part of the offerings of most of these 2,500 bookstores, and a large proportion of independent bookstores place particular emphasis on picture books.

 

The growth of communities based on picture books

 

Another important group within the picture book market is educators. In its early stages, kindergarten teachers?who primarily worked with picture books for young children?stood at the center of this movement. From the 2000s onward, however, the use of picture books expanded across educational settings, including elementary, middle, and high schools, universities, and even humanities for adults. Video-based picture book training programs for teachers played a significant role in this shift. Courses such as “Picture Books: Touching the Heart of Our Classroom” offered by i-Scream Media and “Picture Book Class With Picture Book Authors” provided by Vivasam Remote Training Institute had a substantial impact on educators. As a result, picture books began to be actively adopted as classroom teaching materials. Teachers subsequently developed and disseminated training programs based on their own classroom practices, focusing on how picture books could be effectively integrated into education. In particular, picture book training programs led by the School Library Culture Network (학교도서관문화운동네트워크) led to notable expansion in the use of picture books, and picture book authors increasingly began to be invited to schools.

 

 

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic?which fundamentally reshaped our everyday life?also connected picture books to the online world. The most significant change within the picture book sector has been the remarkable growth of online communities. Of course, there were already numerous commercially-oriented parenting caf?s; however, COVID-19 gave rise to picture book communities that functioned not as commercial platforms, but as cultural movements. Online groups whose names alone convey a deep affection for picture books began to emerge, including the Picture Book Lovers’ Association (좋아서하는그림책연구회), the Picture Book Teachers’ Community, Newbooknow: Kkul Preview (Newbooknow 꿀시사회), and the Picture Book Sarangbang (그림책 사랑방). Through activities such as sharing picture book information, hosting Zoom previews of newly published titles, and organizing online lectures on picture books, these communities have cultivated a dedicated picture book fandom. To this day, they continue to play a leading role in the expansion of the picture book market.

 

2025: The Year of Picture Books

 

Since 1993, private organizations across the fields of publishing, libraries, bookstores, authorship, and reading have joined forces with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA) to form the “Year of Picture Books TF,” designating a different “Book of the Year” theme each year. While 2024 was celebrated as the “Year of Children’s Books,” 2025 has been designated the “Year of Picture Books.” The slogan “Picture Books for Everyone” underscores the idea that picture books are no longer confined to children’s literature alone. Throughout the year, a series of monthly forums explored picture books enjoyed by readers of all ages, alongside a relay-style program that selected and introduced 100 picture books under the theme “Memorable Scenes from Our Picture Books.”

 

 

Most heartening of all is the emergence of a generation that dreams of becoming picture book creators. Today’s young adults in their 20s grew up enjoying picture book culture, and the aspiration to become a picture book author feels entirely natural to them. As a result, illustration fairs now draw overwhelming crowds whenever they are held. The Korean picture book market has not yet reached its peak. In fact, this is where the real beginning lies.

 

 

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Written by Lee Rury(writer, professor of the Department of Creative Writing at Sejong Cyber University)