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Research on Picturebooks in South Korea: An Overview

Sungyup Lee
Cet article est une traduction de :
Études sur l’album en Corée du Sud : état des lieux [fr]

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South Korea
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  • 1 Jong-Sung Kim, “An Analysis of Trends in Research Papers Related to Picture Books: Focusing on pape (...)
  • 2 Hyun Ju Kim, Analysis of Trends in Research on Master's and Doctoral Degree Papers Related to Pictu (...)
  • 3 Jong-Sung Kim, “An Analysis of Trends in Research Papers”, op. cit., p. 194.

1In South Korea, picturebooks began to receive serious academic attention in the early 2000s, in parallel with the growth of their production and a notable improvement in their editorial quality.1 Compared to Western countries, the relatively late development of this field can be attributed to the recent emergence of Korean picturebooks, with the first title, 백두산 이야기 [The Story of Mount Baekdu], published in 1988. However, it is important to note that illustrated books exhibiting features akin to those of picturebooks were already in circulation prior to this period. In particular, during the 1970s and 1980s, several coordinated series of illustrated books were published, marked by consistent paratextual elements. In this context, the first academic work on picturebooks or illustrated texts was conducted as part of a master’s thesis in 1983,2 followed by the publication of a scholarly article on the subject in 1986.3 It was not until the 2000s, however, that the field began to develop more fully and acquire a defined structure.

  • 4 Seongsun Jo, Study on the development process of Korean picture books focused on the process of cha (...)
  • 5 Byoung-kyoo Chung, “삽화의 시대에서 옛이야기 그림책 탄생까지: 시각이미지를 중심으로” [From the Saphwa Period to the Emergence o (...)

2Despite the gradual emergence of research in this field, collections published during the 1970s and 1980s continued to receive little attention within academic circles. Many of these series consisted of unauthorized reproductions of Western picturebooks, published in a context where South Korea had not yet ratified international copyright treaties. Others featured illustrated adaptations of traditional Korean folktales. These publications are often relegated to the margins of scholarly discourse, with their value frequently overlooked. This marginalization has been noted by several Korean scholars, including Seongsun Jo,4 who observes that academic studies tend to focus primarily on picturebooks published from the 1990s onwards. Moreover, the study of these books has been significantly impeded by their extensive loss. The 1988 revision of Korean spelling conventions – originally codified in 1933 led to the systematic removal of a large number of children’s publications from earlier decades.5 At the time, concerns were expressed that materials written in now-obsolete linguistic forms might hinder young learners’ language development. This widespread elimination of books undoubtedly constitutes an additional factor contributing to the limited scholarly attention given to the editorial output of that era.

  • 6 Jong-Sung Kim, “An Analysis of Trends in Research Papers”, op. cit., p. 197. The concentration of a (...)
  • 7 Seongsun Jo, Study on the development process of Korean picture books, op. cit.

3Since the 2000s, research in the field has expanded significantly in volume, yet this growth has not been accompanied by corresponding disciplinary diversification. A majority of studies have been carried out by scholars in the social sciences, particularly those based in early childhood education, childhood studies, or childcare departments.6 The dominance of pedagogical and psychological frameworks has constrained the integration of complementary perspectives, such as those drawn from literary, aesthetic, and cultural studies.7

  • 8 Jong-Sung Kim, “An Analysis of Trends in Research Papers”, op. cit., p. 196. Another study analyzin (...)

4In recent years, however, research on picturebooks has undergone gradual diversification, reflecting a shift in how the genre is perceived: it is now regarded not only as a pedagogical tool but also as an autonomous form of artistic and literary expression. This reconsideration of traditional conceptions of the picturebook has sparked growing interest among scholars from a range of disciplines, including literature, translation studies, visual communication, and applied arts. Some works are even intended for a dual audience: children and adults – a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly normalized in South Korea. In this context, scholarly output on picturebooks has been gradually expanding. A study of 1,660 articles published up to 2021 indicates that 26.2 % fall within the fields of the humanities or the arts.8

  • 9 There has been a steady increase in the publication of monographs devoted to children’s picturebook (...)
  • 10 Ji-hyun Nam, 깊고 그윽하게 우리 그림책 읽기 [Reading Korean Picturebooks with Depth and Serenity], Sangsanghim ( (...)
  • 11 Seongsun Jo, Study on the development process of Korean picture books, op. cit.

5In recent decades, research on picturebooks has thus expanded and diversified, yet critical or theoretical monographs written directly in Korean remain relatively limited in numbers.9 This relative lack of analytical tools rooted in the Korean academic tradition may be attributed to the late emergence of the picturebook as an object of scholarly inquiry. This delay has facilitated the widespread adoption of foreign, particularly English-language, theoretical and critical frameworks with How Picturebooks Work by Maria Nikolajeva and Carole Scott among the most influential. Korean critics such as Ji-hyun Nam10 and Seongsun Jo11 have highlighted the scarcity of foundational Korean-language academic work on the picturebook. In the prologue to her monograph, Ji-hyun Nam laments the fact that when she began her research in 2010, Korean-language critical studies – aside from translated works were still exceedingly rare. In her 2019 doctoral dissertation, Seongsun Jo retraces the history of Korean picturebooks to demonstrate that they are not merely the product of foreign influence, but are also rooted in a national book culture. She observes, however, that research conducted in South Korea continues to rely predominantly on Western theoretical models. This growing awareness, coupled with the increasing international recognition of Korean picturebooks, has prompted several scholars and critics to begin developing theoretical frameworks tailored to this literary and artistic form. Nonetheless, the contribution of literary researchers to the construction of a distinct, locally grounded critical discourse remains limited. While it is essential to continue engaging with diverse approaches from the Anglophone world and other cultural traditions, there is a pressing need to reinforce efforts aimed at examining picturebooks through perspectives anchored in Korean academic and cultural contexts – particularly at a time when Korean picturebook production is gaining increasing visibility on the global stage.

  • 12 The author’s linguistic competence is limited to Korean, French, and English, which precludes the i (...)

6As previously noted, scholarly research on Korean picturebooks has been steadily increasing, particularly with the aim of publication in national academic journals.12 However, this momentum has yet to translate into a significant presence of Korean scholars within international academic circles, as the publication of articles in non-Korean journals is still at a relatively early stage. Consequently, academic discourse on Korean picturebooks remains limited in journals published in languages other than Korean.

  • 13 Sungyup Lee, Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, vol. 54, n° 4, 2016, p. 17 (...)
  • 14 Jiwone Lee, Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, vol. 60, n° 3, 2022, p. 20- (...)
  • 15 Yeojoo Lim, Sarah Park-Dahlen, Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, vol. 61, (...)

7Nonetheless, several publications in English and French deserve to be mentioned. Suzy Lee’s selection as a finalist for the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration in 2016, followed by her receipt of the award in 2022, naturally spurred the publication of several articles exploring her literary and artistic universe in Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, the official journal of IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People). Among these are “Suzy Lee's Adventures in Picture Book Land”13 by Sungyup Lee and “2022 HCA Award Winner Suzy Lee: The Book as a Wonderland”14 by Jiwone Lee. Also noteworthy is an article published in the same journal that examines five Korean picturebooks addressing the theme of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea: “The Paradox of the DMZ: Making War, Division, and Unification Intelligible Through Korean Picture Books”15 by Yeojoo Lim and Sarah Park Dahlen.

  • 16 Joanne H. Yi, Children's Literature in Education, vol. 45, n° 2, 2014, p. 129-144.
  • 17 Su-Jeong Wee, Soyeon Park, Joung Sun Choi, Children's Literature in Education, vol. 46, n° 1, 2015, (...)

8In addition, several English-language studies have examined picturebooks published in the United States that are intended for young Korean American readers. Notable contributions in this area include “‘My Heart Beats in Two Places’: Immigration Stories in Korean-American Picture Books”16 by Joanne H. Yi, and “Korean Culture as Portrayed in Young Children's Picture Books: The Pursuit of Cultural Authenticity”17 by Su-Jeong Wee and colleagues.

  • 18 Carine Devillon, “Des enfants dans Séoul, ou le spectre de la ville dans les albums coréens”, Stren (...)

9When it comes to French-language publications, La Revue des livres pour enfants (RLPE), published by the Centre national de la littérature pour la jeunesse, has devoted two special issues to Korean picturebooks, published fifteen years apart: “La littérature de jeunesse en Corée du Sud” (n° 253, June 2010) and “Corée du Sud, Vague” (n° 339, January 2025). While the articles featured in these issues do not strictly qualify as academic research, they nonetheless represent important contributions. Together, they offer a valuable overview of the Korean picturebook ecosystem, exploring topics such as the history of picturebooks in Korea, profiles of leading Korean illustrators, library reading policies, specialized publishers, and festivals dedicated to children's literature. Further enriching this body of work is an article published in 2024 in the academic journal Strenæ, entitled “Des enfants dans Séoul, ou le spectre de la ville dans les albums coréens”, by Carine Devillon.18

10In this context, the three contributions dedicated to Korean picturebooks published in this journal – although limited in number appear to contribute meaningfully to the dissemination and recognition of knowledge regarding this editorial form, both within the French- and English-speaking fields of children’s literature research. These articles are most effectively read alongside those included in the issue “Corée du Sud, Vague”, published earlier this year in RLPE.

  • 19 Mihwa Han, “Borim et Hyang, deux éditeurs représentatifs du secteur de l’album de jeunesse coréen”, (...)

11In her study “Bandal : l’éditeur de la demi-lune qui ne fait pas les choses à moitié”, Carine Devillon analyzes several picturebooks published by the Bandal imprint, known for the graphic quality and originality of its productions, as demonstrated by the awards it has received at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. This analysis resonates with an interview featured in the same issue of La Revue des livres pour enfants, conducted with the director of the independent publishing house Hyang – who also led the Bandal team and published as part of the article “Borim et Hyang, deux éditeurs représentatifs du secteur de l’album de jeunesse coréen”.19

12Under the title “A Study on a Feminist Interpretation of Baek Heena’s Picture Books about Grandmothers”, Jieun Kim explores the literary and artistic universe of Baek Heena – one of the most accomplished Korean author-illustrators and recipient of the 2020 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award – through a feminist reading focused on the figure of the grandmother.

  • 20 Another meaningful form of firsthand encounter between Korean picturebooks and the French public is (...)

13Beyond critical or academic discourse, it is translation that enables Korean picturebooks to be discovered by a French-speaking – and even international readership.20 In her contribution “Les albums coréens publiés en France : d’une exposition culturelle vers une expression universelle”, Sungyup Lee explores the reception of these picturebooks in France, with a specific focus on the roles played by two publishing houses: Chan-ok and Rue du Monde. The former is distinguished by its introduction of picturebooks deeply rooted in Korean culture, both narratively and visually, while the latter emphasizes the universality of themes and narrative structures, while also foregrounding a distinctive graphic style.

  • 21 I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Korean scholars who submitted proposals but were ul (...)

14Although this issue includes fewer contributions than previous ones, it represents an important first step in advancing international research on Korean picturebooks and in fostering an intercultural dialogue among scholars from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.21

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Bibliographie

Kyun Sun Baek, “An Analysis of Research Trends of Thesis on Young Children’s Literature: 5 Journals of Early Childhood Education Association & Korean Society of Children’s Literature & Education”, Journal of Children’s Literature and Education, vol. 10, n° 2, 2009, p. 177-199.

Byoung-kyoo Chung, “삽화의 시대에서 옛이야기 그림책 탄생까지: 시각이미지를 중심으로” [From the Saphwa Period to the Emergence of Illustrated Folktales], 창비어린이 [Changbi Junior], vol. 5, n° 1, 2007, p. 62-80.

Carine Devillon, “Des enfants dans Séoul, ou le spectre de la ville dans les albums coréens”, Strenæ [online], n° 23, 2023, DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/strenae.10345.

Mihwa Han, “Borim et Hyang, deux éditeurs représentatifs du secteur de l’album de jeunesse coréen”, La Revue des livres pour enfants, n° 339, 2025, p. 110-113.

Eun-ja Hyun, Sae-hee Kim, 그림책의 이해 [Understanding Children’s Picturebooks], Sakyejul, 2005.

Seongsun Jo, Study on development process of Korean picture books focused on process of change from drawing to picture books, unpublished doctoral dissertation, Inha University (Incheon, South Korea), 2019.

Hyun Ju Kim, Analysis of Trends in Research on Master's and Doctoral Degree Papers Related to Picture Books in Korea: Focusing on the Thesis of Master's and Doctoral Degree Papers in Korea from 1983 to 2020, master’s thesis, Sungkyunkwan University (Seoul, South Korea), 2022, p. 20-21.

Jong-Sung Kim, “An Analysis of Trends in Research Papers Related to Picture Books: Focusing on papers in domestic academic journals”, Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society, vol. 53, n° 2, 2022, p. 189-214.

Jiwone Lee, “2022 HCA Award Winner Suzy Lee: The Book as a Wonderland”, Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, vol. 60, n° 3, 2022, p. 20-27.

Sungyup Lee, “Suzy Lee’s Adventures in Picture book Land”, Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, vol. 54, n° 4, 2016, p. 17-21.

Yeojoo Lim, Sarah Park-Dahlen, “The Paradox of the DMZ: Making War, Division, and Unification Intelligible Through Korean Picture Books”, Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, vol. 61, n° 3, 2023, p. 45-54.

Ji-hyun Nam, 깊고 그윽하게 우리 그림책 읽기 [Reading Korean Picturebooks with Depth and Serenity], Sangsanghim, 2017.

Cheyenne Olivier, “On a lu des albums coréens”, La Revue des livres pour enfants, n° 339, 2025, p. 152-157.

Hyang-boon Shim, “A Research on the Study of Picturebooks in the Visual Arts: 1986-2018”, Journal of Children’s Literature and Education, vol. 23, n° 2, 2002, p. 157-175.

Myong-ho Shin, 그림책의 세계 [The World of Picturebooks], Kyemongsa, 1994.

Su-Jeong Wee, Soyeon Park, Joung Sun Choi, “Korean Culture as Portrayed in Young Children's Picture Books: The Pursuit of Cultural Authenticity”, Children's Literature in Education, vol. 46, n° 1, 2015, p. 70-87.

Joanne H. Yi, “‘My Heart Beats in Two Places’: Immigration Stories in Korean-American Picture Books”, Children's Literature in Education, vol. 45, n° 2, 2014, p. 129-144.

Dafna Zur, Figuring Korean Futures: Children’s Literature in Modern Korea, Redwood City, Stanford University Press, 2017.

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Notes

1 Jong-Sung Kim, “An Analysis of Trends in Research Papers Related to Picture Books: Focusing on papers in domestic academic journals”, Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society, vol. 53, n° 2, 2022, p. 189-214.

2 Hyun Ju Kim, Analysis of Trends in Research on Master's and Doctoral Degree Papers Related to Picture Books in Korea: Focusing on the Thesis of Master's and Doctoral Degree Papers in Korea from 1983 to 2020, master’s thesis, Sungkyunkwan University (Seoul, South Korea), 2022, p. 20-21.

3 Jong-Sung Kim, “An Analysis of Trends in Research Papers”, op. cit., p. 194.

4 Seongsun Jo, Study on the development process of Korean picture books focused on the process of change from drawing to picture books, unpublished doctoral dissertation, Inha University (Incheon, South Korea), 2019.

5 Byoung-kyoo Chung, “삽화의 시대에서 옛이야기 그림책 탄생까지: 시각이미지를 중심으로” [From the Saphwa Period to the Emergence of Illustrated Folktales], 창비어린이 [Changbi Junior], vol. 5, n° 1, 2007, p. 65-66. It is worth noting that the Korean term 삽화 (Saphwa) is retained in the English translation of the article’s title. While Saphwa and the term illustration – in both French and English convey similar meanings, their usages diverge within the South Korean publishing context. Saphwa traditionally refers to images conceived as supplementary to the text in illustrated books, whereas illustration more commonly denotes images that hold equal narrative and aesthetic status to the text, particularly in picturebooks. The English loanword 일러스트레이션 (illustration) was introduced in 1981 with the establishment of the illustrators’ collective 무지개 일러스트회 (Rainbow Illustration Society), and gradually supplanted Saphwa as the preferred term for images in picturebooks. This terminological shift led to the relegation of Saphwa to more restricted uses, such as illustrations found in magazines, nonfiction books, or traditional illustrated volumes. As the picturebook genre gained prominence, the distinction between the two terms became increasingly pronounced. Nonetheless, it should be noted that some still regard them as interchangeable, without attributing a fundamental difference in meaning.

6 Jong-Sung Kim, “An Analysis of Trends in Research Papers”, op. cit., p. 197. The concentration of articles published in the Journal of Children’s Literature and Education, established in 2000, further indicates a strong orientation of research toward pedagogical concerns. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge the journal’s central role in structuring and legitimizing the field as a recognized area of scholarly inquiry. Kyun Sun Baek, « An Analysis of Research Trends of Thesis on Young Children’s Literature: 5 Journals of Early Childhood Education Association & Korean Society of Children’s Literature & Education », Journal of Children’s Literature and Education, vol. 10, n° 2, 2009, p. 192.

7 Seongsun Jo, Study on the development process of Korean picture books, op. cit.

8 Jong-Sung Kim, “An Analysis of Trends in Research Papers”, op. cit., p. 196. Another study analyzing 131 articles published between 1986 and 2018 in journals, focused on art and design as well as visual communication, found that 91.6 % appeared after 2006. This suggests that, in the early stages of research in this field, contributions from these creative disciplines were notably limited. Hyang-boon Shim, A Research on the Study of Picturebooks in the Visual Arts: 1986-2018, Journal of Children’s Literature and Education, vol. 23, n° 2, 2002, p. 162.

9 There has been a steady increase in the publication of monographs devoted to children’s picturebooks. Most of these works take the form of essays or critical studies focusing on a selection of titles, while others, adopting a more academic orientation, examine the history of the picturebook or explore its status and characteristics as a literary and artistic genre in its own right. Among the earliest Korean-language publications on the subject, noteworthy examples include 그림책의 세계 [The World of Picturebooks] by Myong-ho Shin, published in 1994 by Kyemongsa, and 그림책의 이해 [Understanding Children’s Picturebooks] by Eun-ja Hyun and Sae-hee Kim, published in 2005 by Sakyejul.

10 Ji-hyun Nam, 깊고 그윽하게 우리 그림책 읽기 [Reading Korean Picturebooks with Depth and Serenity], Sangsanghim (South Korea), 2017.

11 Seongsun Jo, Study on the development process of Korean picture books, op. cit.

12 The author’s linguistic competence is limited to Korean, French, and English, which precludes the inclusion of research published in other languages. Although the following work does not focus specifically on picturebooks, it is worth mentioning Figuring Korean Futures: Children’s Literature in Modern Korea, an English-language monograph on the history of Korean children’s literature, published in 2017. Written by Dafna Zur, a Koreanist and professor at Stanford University, the book covers the period from the early twentieth century to the post-Korean War era.

13 Sungyup Lee, Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, vol. 54, n° 4, 2016, p. 17-21.

14 Jiwone Lee, Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, vol. 60, n° 3, 2022, p. 20-27.

15 Yeojoo Lim, Sarah Park-Dahlen, Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, vol. 61, n° 3, 2023, p. 45-54.

16 Joanne H. Yi, Children's Literature in Education, vol. 45, n° 2, 2014, p. 129-144.

17 Su-Jeong Wee, Soyeon Park, Joung Sun Choi, Children's Literature in Education, vol. 46, n° 1, 2015, p. 70-87.

18 Carine Devillon, “Des enfants dans Séoul, ou le spectre de la ville dans les albums coréens”, Strenæ [online], n° 23, 2023, DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/strenae.10345. The English title is “Children in Seoul, or the spectre of the city in Korean picture books”.

19 Mihwa Han, “Borim et Hyang, deux éditeurs représentatifs du secteur de l’album de jeunesse coréen”, La Revue des livres pour enfants, n° 339, 2025, p. 110-113.

20 Another meaningful form of firsthand encounter between Korean picturebooks and the French public is the exhibition. This is the subject of an article published in RLPE, entitled “On a lu des albums coréens”, which offers an analytical overview of the eponymous exhibition held at the municipal library of Tours. The exhibition was organized in collaboration with the library’s staff, the InTRu research team at the University of Tours, and KBBY, the South Korean national section of the IBBY. Cheyenne Olivier, “On a lu des albums coréens”, La Revue des livres pour enfants, n° 339, 2025, p. 152-157.

21 I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Korean scholars who submitted proposals but were ultimately unable to develop them into full articles. Their research interests and methodological approaches – which are likely recognized and valued within the Korean academic sphere could not be accommodated in this issue. My gratitude also goes to those who were unable to submit a final version of their contribution, as the peer reviews required more time than expected for reflection and revision. I would like to offer a final word of thanks to Le Studium, whose research grants provided essential support for the completion of this project, and to my host researcher, Cécile Boulaire, for her attentive guidance and invaluable collaboration throughout the editorial process. I am also deeply grateful to Cécile Pichon-Bonin and Éléonore Hamaide, editors of Strenae, as well as to all the reviewers whose expertise contributed to the evaluation of the articles.

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Sungyup Lee, « Research on Picturebooks in South Korea: An Overview »Strenæ [En ligne], 26 | 2025, mis en ligne le 12 novembre 2025, consulté le 21 avril 2026. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/strenae/12092 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/155av

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Sungyup Lee

Ewha Feminine University (Seoul, South Korea)

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