VOL.94/2026.05

Topic

 

A New Vision Rooted in Tradition:
The Evolution of Korean Picture Books

 

 

2026.05

 

 

Who is searching for Korean picture books?

 

The Korean Pavilion at the 2026 Bologna Children’s Book Fair was consistently bustling with publishing professionals from around the world. In addition to those visiting the booth for pre-scheduled copyright consultations, it was not uncommon for visitors to be drawn in by the on-site author talks or workshops and request a meeting on the spot. On the second day of the fair, at the Networking Day hosted by the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea, participants were asked about the strengths of Korean picture books. They remarked that the books are not only delicate in their expression but also diverse in their thematic approaches, providing readers with a "challenging reading experience." This is a remarkable turnaround compared to the early 2000s, when Korean picture books had little presence, or even the early 2010s, when they were still primarily focused on importing copyrights despite beginning to produce award-winning works.

 

The spectrum of Korean picture books has expanded to the point where it is difficult to categorize them under a single label. Even at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, the names of Korean creators are visible across various categories, including the Illustrators Exhibition, the dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picturebooks, and the Bologna Ragazzi Awards in Fiction, Non-Fiction, Comics, Crossmedia, and The Amazing Bookshelf. Amidst this growth, there is a vibrant experimentation with unique aesthetics. An increasing number of works strive for original beauty by recreating traditional book formats, such as folding screen (byeongpung) or scroll-style bindings, or by utilizing materials like hanji (traditional mulberry paper), ink, and silk, while carrying forward the techniques of traditional Korean color painting.

 

A positive reception of a work's artistic achievement does not directly translate into copyright export performance. Synthesizing the experiences of Korean publishing professionals involved in copyright consultations, Bologna 2026 is evaluated as a year when the preference for so-called "uniquely Korean" elements slightly declined. Other countries are facing similar challenges, with unstable prices due to war and shrinking consumption leading to a difficult publishing climate. Consequently, picture book publishing has become more defensive. This year, in particular, it is reported that there were more export consultations for "universal" books capable of satisfying a broad range of readers.

 

 

 

 

Inherent Beauty: Reclaimed from the Past and Future

 

 

Nevertheless, we examine several representative books imbued with our traditional techniques and unique beauty. The Story of Brother and Sister by Lee Uk-bae, which won the Grand Prize in the Bologna Ragazzi Award’s Fiction: Folktales & Fairy Tales category this year, is a picture book created by reviving hanji paintings the author had kept for over 20 years since their initial creation. As the original paintings are quite large (65 cm in height) the book was produced in a significantly elongated rectangular format of 360 mm. The slender yet vibrant curves of the tiger's fur are remarkably dynamic. The harmony of colors is particularly striking, with various shades of green set against the mother’s skirt and the blue of the sky to capture the rhythmic movement of the forest. Cosmic Hell by So Yun-Kyung, who drew significant attention for showcasing hyeokpil-hwa (leather-brush painting) during a Bologna workshop, is a picture book that transforms the concept of hell from Dante’s Divine Comedy into Eastern imagery. It imagines thirteen hells relevant to our modern world, recreating their suffering through meticulous detail. The hells imagined by So are deeply intertwined with the climate crisis. The dazzling images, resembling a fusion of Siwangdo (Buddhist paintings of the Ten Kings of Hell) and cyberpunk, are simultaneously ecstatic and agonizing. The moment in the work where the gate of "Hell Star" opens with the resolute declaration, "There is no way back," poignantly reflects the urgency of our current reality.

 

 

 

 

Layering Imagination Over Precise Records

 

 

Shashamiu’s Tamna Sullyeokdo: A Journey Through Jeju begins with an album of paintings left by Lee Hyeong-Sang, a magistrate of Jeju during the late Joseon Dynasty. Created 300 years ago by a man who took up a brush to examine every corner of the island long before the era of drones or satellites, the original Sullyeokdo has been reimagined through modern curiosity, infused with rich imagination and cheerful colors. In addition, Suzy Lee’s Inyeon (Destiny) (White Rabbit Press, 2025) is a scroll-style picture book inspired by Sim Sa-jeong’s Jokjado (Hanging Scroll). The narrative design is particularly striking, structured so that it can be read from either direction. While keeping the ink brushwork light and ethereal, the book required a material that would not tear when the printed images were repeatedly rolled and unrolled. After much deliberation, the artist printed the book on Tyvek, which is a modern high-tech material that is both lightweight and incredibly durable. Thus, the scroll, which is a familiar prop from historical dramas, is reinterpreted as an ultralight yet sturdy "bundle of stories."

 

Baek Ji-Hye, a picture book artist who carries forward the lineage of traditional Korean color painting, has been holding an exhibition titled “Greetings from Flowers” at Albus Gallery in Seoul since early April. This exhibition features the original paintings from her forthcoming picture book, Twelve Months of the Garden (Changbi). Baek’s color painting involves the baechae technique, where silk is stretched over a frame and coated with gyobansu (a sizing solution of glue and alum). Colors are then layered from the back of the silk to create the profound depths of an object’s existence. This traditional Korean technique, which is fading even among skilled practitioners, has been preserved through Baek’s rigorous and disciplined approach as a chronicler. Her paintings of flowers and insects stand at the opposite pole of AI-generated art. Within her picture books lies a vitality that cannot be achieved simply by recording the shapes of flowers.

 

Efforts to revive ancient aesthetics through these diverse approaches continue today. This reflects not only a search for the identity of Korean picture books but also a deeper contemplation within children's literature to extract the romanticism of old tales through a modern sensibility. When these concerns are resolved with such finesse, I believe we will see the emergence of many Korean picture books that are profoundly meaningful and capable of being cherished by readers worldwide.

 

 

 

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Written by Kim Jieun (literary critic)

Professor in the Department of Creative Writing at Seoul Institute of the Arts. Author of the essay collection Children Go Far and the critical essay collections The Child, The Third Person and The Adult Who Lies. Co-author of Picture Books: Korean Artists and Such Gentle Picture Books.