VOL.78/2025.01

 

The Power of K-Readers Over K-Books

A Report from the 1st Busan International Children’s Book Fair

 

2025.01.06

 

 

An international children’s book fair in Busan, Korea?

 

On November 28, the 1st Busan International Children’s Book Fair kicked off at BEXCO in Busan. As the first international children’s book fair to be held in Korea, it was themed on the imaginary land of Laputa, the floating kingdom in the sky that Gulliver traveled to in Gulliver’s Travels. The book fair attracted 193 exhibitors and 118 authors and speakers from 16 countries, including domestic and international publishers and organizations specializing in children’s books. Also, more than 150 side programs took place. All beginnings are both exciting and nerve-wracking. The fact that an international children’s book fair, symbolized by Bologna, is being held in Busan, Korea, might raise some eyebrows. But for me, it was somewhat overdue. It’s because Korea is already at the center of world culture - think K-pop, K-movies, K-dramas, K-games, and even Han Kang’s Nobel Prize in Literature!
In particular, Korean children’s literature is already an international favorite. The Korean pavilion at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair has been growing in popularity for several years. You can also find Korean works and authors in the Bologna Ragazzi Awards and the Illustrator of the Year section. Plus, Baek Hee-Na has won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and Suzy Lee has won the Hans Christian Andersen Award in recent years. This shows that Korean children’s literature has been a worldwide favorite long before adult literature.

 

* K-Book Trends Vol. 26 – Go to the interview with writer Baek Hee-Na

 

* K-Book Trends Vol. 37 – Go to the interview with writer Suzy Lee

 

Another Korean city, Jeonju, has hosted the Jeonju International Picture Book Fair every May since 2022. Though it is less known due to its size and budget, the fair has been running for three years now. This year, the fair attracted a lot of attention as it featured the picture book contest award ceremony organized by Korea Publishing Picturebook (KPP). Also, Suwon has been hosting the International Book & Contest Festa for Kids called BOOKIZCON every September since 2023. This is not all. Over the past few years, a large number of picture book-related organizations and communities have emerged, and various activities are taking place across the country. Picture book creation programs have spread like wildfire in libraries, and picture book bookstores across the country have become a hotspot for picture book lovers. As such, the spark of Korean children’s literature has gradually grown to lay the foundation for the International Children’s Book Fair in Busan this year.

 

 

The Busan International Children’s Book Fair attracts around 50,000 visitors

 

The publishers and authors participating in the book fair were thrilled. Over four days, they barely had a moment to rest as more than 50,000 readers from across South Korea came to visit. As an author, the head of Yrurybooks, and the editor-in-chief of BookGoodCome, I also had a hectic time there. First of all, as an author, I stayed at the booth for all four days and held signing sessions. There was no time to eat, no time to drink, and no time to go to the restroom.
Readers came from all over the country. Picture book and fairy tale lovers from all over Korea - from Paju in the northernmost part and Jeju in the southernmost part - came to the festival. Most of them brought their own carts, and they moved from one booth to another, buying books and getting autographs from the authors. They made sure to take a photo after getting autographs. Very few readers didn’t use Instagram or Facebook. They were busy buying books, getting autographs, taking pictures, and updating them on Social Media, which in turn attracted other readers to the Busan International Children’s Book Fair. The participating publishers and authors worked tirelessly at the official venue and at the publishers’ booths. Many publishers had to have more books delivered as their stock was sold out. Readers and authors were exchanging pleasant greetings and smiles all around the fair.
Under the theme of the book fair, “Laputa - Children, Acts (라퓨타-한다, 어린이)” 400 books were exhibited. Novelist Kim Yeon-Soo and picture book writer-illustrator Kang Hye-Sook, as well as authors Suzy Lee, Baek Hee-Na, Jung Jin-Ho, Hwang Sun-Mi, and international picture book authors such as Swiss children’s author Davide Cali and Italian author Giulia Pastorino, met with readers through lectures. Also, various children’s book publishers and organizations in Korea and abroad held diverse events for children to participate in, such as autograph signings, workshops for children, and book talks.

 

 

Busan seen through the international children’s book fair

 

During the book fair, I could barely move around because of the author signings. Fortunately, many overseas publishers came to Yrurybooks’ booth. Publisher Kimdung from Vietnam was very attentive to our picture books and requested files of six titles for review: Gomdori and Yaongi, Dr. Kim’s Secret, Hello-Happiness, Red Light-Green Light, Eolkuni and Kobburi, and The Blanket. Also, publishing house Papa from Taiwan requested files for review of Beautiful Little Duckling and The Reason I Love You, while the Lithuanian agent requested files for review of Mr. Moon, Why Are You Following Me?, Chichi-popo, and Pengdori’s Search for His Bride. And, of course, our publisher reviewed books from those publishers and requested files.
I listed the picture books requested by each foreign publisher I met with to show that there are no overlapping titles. I don’t push specific books when I meet with foreign publishers. I first let them choose based on the cover. Picture books are visual art, and art is a matter of taste. Different people have different tastes. You never know which books will be selected and which countries they will be exported to. I also met with some Anglo-American publishers. However, I was disappointed that they seemed to be more interested in exporting their books rather than importing books from Korean publishers.
A number of overseas publishers were invited and sponsored by the organizers. The sincerity and enthusiasm shown by Taiwanese publishers, libraries, and publishing organizations were truly amazing. The openness and kindness of the Taiwanese publishing community has always impressed people everywhere. This is why I can’t help but go to the Taipei International Book Fair every year.

 

 

I hope the Busan International Children’s Book Fair will become a festival of the world

 

Many readers told me that they would like to see more international publishers next year. Actually, it is not that difficult for the Busan International Children’s Book Fair to be loved as an international book fair. We just need to open our doors wide and welcome overseas publishers to spend time and money to set up their booths. But, how do you open that door? First of all, Korean readers seem to be very open-minded. Many readers said they would like to see books from various foreign publishers. The question is, how do we bring them in? It is important to promote year-round, just like leading international book fairs. We need to advertise 365 days a year that an international children’s book fair is held in Busan at the end of November. Also, we need fellowships with no barriers. It would also be important to create a national PR pavilion in cooperation with cultural centers from around the world. Above all, as a children’s book fair, we need events for new authors, like the Bologna Children’s Book Fair’s Illustrators Wall or the Illustrator of the Year Award. This is because readers will eventually become authors and experts.
International children’s book fairs are not just an event for exchanging copyrights or a market for buying and selling books. It is a festival for everyone who loves children’s books. It should be a festival for everyone: authors, publishers, readers, enthusiasts, children, and families. To achieve this, the book fair organizers should work more closely with various participants. Korean publishers with a lot of export experience know which foreign publishers are interested in Korean books. Also, Korean publishers should be more interested in the books of foreign publishers and exchange with them. If everyone just wants to sell their own books, there will be no exchange, communication, or empathy.
So, what does it take to make a book fair a must-see event for authors, publishers, readers, enthusiasts, children, and families from around the world? The amazing Korean readers already know the answer - the power of K-Readers is stronger than K-Books! The boundaries between readers and authors have long been collapsed in Korea. There are over 60,000 registered publishing houses in this tiny country! Plus, Korean readers are open to all cultures. They know how to appreciate and compliment what they like. Where else in the world would someone from any part of the world be able to showcase and promote their content? Most of all, Korean readers will welcome authors and publishers from all over the world with open arms. We are already living in an era of internationalization and globalization.

 

 

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Written by Lee Rury (Author; Professor of Creative Writing, Sejong Cyber University; Chief Editor of Bookgoodcome; CEO of Yrurybooks)