VOL.97/2026.08

 

Paving the Way for Exports Through People-to-People Exchange

The export case of Don’t Worry About Me

 

2025.09.04

 

Korean picture books have recently gained worldwide attention by winning international picture book awards. In 2022, illustrator Lee Suzy became the first Korean winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award (HCAA). Her works were translated and published in Japan, Taiwan, and France. In 2020, Wave (BIR Publishing) was selected for Taiwan’s OpenBook Good Book Awards. In 2025, Borders (Bearbooks) by Gudol (writer) and Haerang (illustrator), and Mo Story (Atnoonbooks) by Choi Yeon-Ju became the first Korean works to win France’s Prix Sorci?res. Yet many outstanding Korean picture books remain unknown abroad. With 2025 designated as the “Year of the Picture Book” in Korea, this article examines an export case of the particular picture book Don’t Worry About Me (Bombyeott Publishing).

 

How Don’t Worry About Me was exported

 

Bombyeott Publishing is a young publisher, but it has consistently focused on publishing original Korean picture books. Its list includes historical picture books such as King Jeongjo’s Happy Parade in 1795, the biographical picture book A Boy With a Bronze Helmet about Sohn Kee-Chung, Korea’s first Olympic gold medalist in track and field, and books reflecting Korea’s geography, such as Shall We Go to The Sea Under Dokdo? and Come Play on The Mudflats! For this reason, rights export was not easy. Nevertheless, Bombyeott Publishing continued to seek overseas outreach. Since 2023, it has participated in international book fairs, including the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF), and the London Book Fair, promoting its picture books to foreign publishers. As a result, Did You Say I Am Pretty? was exported to Japan and Taiwan, Don’t Worry About Me and Mom Wouldn’t Know were exported to Taiwan, and Mind-child in the Forest to T?rkiye.

 

 

Among these, Don’t Worry About Me followed a rather unique path to export. The picture book was displayed at a cultural exchange event and caught the eye of a Taiwanese publisher, leading to an export contract. This was the “Korean Picture Book Exhibition and Sales” at Kuo’s Astral Bookshop (郭怡美書店) held in Taipei in 2024. The Korean Picture Book Publishers Association (KPP) is an association of publishers dedicated to sharing information on picture book publishing, fostering a desirable publishing culture, and promoting its expansion. Bombyeott Publishing participated as a member company in this event, one of KPP’s overseas initiatives, and the picture book exhibited there served as the springboard for its export.

 

 

This exhibition and sales event was made possible through the active cooperation of Kuo’s Astral Bookshop in Taiwan. From April 15 to May 14, 2024, a wide variety of Korean picture books, featuring diverse themes and formats, were displayed in a dedicated space at the bookstore, catering to Taiwanese readers. The opening ceremony was attended by the Minister of Culture, members of the Legislative Yuan, the former president of the Taipei Book Fair Foundation, the head of Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山文1914化創意?業園區), officials from the Ministry of Culture, representatives of various publishing houses, and many other cultural figures, demonstrating the strong interest the event attracted in Taiwan. The exhibition successfully drew enthusiastic responses from Taiwanese readers as well. As a result, it did not remain confined to Kuo’s Astral Bookshop, but continued until November, traveling to other regions: Asahikari Books (晨熹社) in Taichung, Floating Life Image Studio (浮生圖像所) in Tainan, Little House Bookstore (小房子書) in Kaohsiung, and finally The Isle Bookstore (嶼伴書間) and the Dongsan Exhibition Hall in Yilan, where it was held simultaneously.

 

 

Geographically close and emotionally familiar to Korea, Taiwan has a very high level of affinity for Korean content across various fields such as drama, music, and beauty. In this sense, the exhibition, though progressing at a somewhat slower pace, proved that Korean picture books were beginning to capture the attention of Taiwanese readers. During the course of this event, Don’t Worry About Me caught the eye and was ultimately chosen by Taiwanese readers.

 

Factors behind the export of Don’t Worry About Me

 

Written and illustrated by Lee Young-Rim, Don’t Worry About Me captures the universal emotions of love and bonding between mother and child. When the mother catches a cold and the child cannot go to kindergarten, the child rolls up her sleeves to take care of her mother. She piles up books beside her mother so she won’t be bored, gives her treasured snacks so she won’t go hungry, and covers her bed with dolls so she won’t feel cold during sleep. Just as her mother took care of her when she was sick, the child tends to her, constantly saying, “Don’t worry about me.” The more she insists the mother shouldn’t worry, the messier the house becomes - yet the mother is comforted by her sincerity.

 

 

This picture book portrays heartwarming love blossoming in a messy household as the child becomes the caregiver for her sick mother. The child’s repeated phrase “Don’t worry about me” is both words of comfort to the mother and, at the same time, carries the multilayered meaning of the child’s desire to calm her own anxiety at being unable to receive her mother’s help. This complex meaning and the warm sentiment of mutual concern moved the hearts of Taiwanese readers, and in addition, the positive sentiment toward K-culture seems to have created a synergy effect.

 

From quiet comfort to a universal language of empathy

 

I believe it is essential for a publisher to consistently participate in major international book fairs, such as the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, and introduce its picture books abroad to build networks with local publishers. For example, a rights manager from a Spanish publisher whom Bombyeott Publishing met at the London Book Fair later visited our booth at the Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF) to see new picture book titles. Such encounters, built over time, will increase the likelihood of rights exports in the future.
Another approach is to reach readers directly, as demonstrated by the Korean picture book exhibition in Taiwan, which led to the export of Don’t Worry About Me. Providing opportunities for overseas readers to encounter Korean picture books firsthand naturally increases interest in the international book market. Challenges remain in cost and network building for small publishers, but if efforts of private associations like the KPP are aided by government support, more opportunities could be created.
Most important of all, however, is content. Just as Don’t Worry About Me addresses the universal emotion of love and bonding between mother and child, what is needed are works that deal with themes anyone can easily relate to, while also capturing uniquely Korean sensibilities or cultural elements that can draw the interest of overseas readers. This is also the direction that Bombyeott Publishing’s picture books should pursue going forward. The overseas expansion of Bombyeott Publishing’s picture books is still in its infancy, currently limited to Asia, specifically Taiwan, Japan, and China. To progress into larger markets such as Europe and the English-speaking markets, several factors must align: universal themes, cultural accessibility, and sustained foreign interest in Korean picture books. Bombyeott Publishing aims to maintain its identity while delivering messages of universality and empathy to children worldwide. I hope that the quiet message of comfort, originating in Korea, will now reach a wider audience and resonate with more readers.

 

 

---

Written by Kwon Eun-Su (CEO of Bombyeott Publishing Co.)