Organizers of the upcoming Busan International Children's Book Fair, joined by participating writers and critics, attend a press conference in central Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Korean Publishers Association

An official poster for the inaugural edition of the Busan International Children's Book Fair / Courtesy of Korean Publishers Association

Korea's first global book fair dedicated to children's literature is set to make a grand debut in Busan next week.

The inaugural Busan International Children's Book Fair (BICBF) will run from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1 at BEXCO, bringing together 193 publishing houses and 118 writers and critics from around the world.

Headlining the event are some of the biggest names in children's literature — Lee Suzy, the first Korean illustrator to win the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award; Baek Hee-na, laureate of the 2020 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award; Hwang Sun-mi, author of the beloved bestseller "The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly"; and Hanna Cha, whose illustrations for "The Truth About Dragons" earned her a Caldecott Honor this year.

The Korean Publishers Association (KPA), the event's organizer which also operates the annual Seoul International Book Fair, sees the new fair as a golden opportunity to raise the global profile of Korean children's literature and address long-unmet industry demands.

"The competitiveness of Korean children's books is at a world-class level. However, with the decline in the local school-age population and the rise of new media, domestic publishers are eager to expand their reach overseas," said KPA President Yoon Chul-ho in a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. "The children's book publishing industry here has been calling for a homegrown international book fair, and the BICBF is our response to that demand."

The BICBF aspires to become Asia's answer to the prominent Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy. But according to its director, Joo I-roo, the event is carving its own identity. Unlike Bologna, which focuses primarily on trade and copyright deals and therefore excludes young visitors on-site, the Busan fair will blend business opportunities with the magic of a children-centered literary festival.

This year's theme, "Laputa," inspired by the fantastical flying island in Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels," sets the tone for a dynamic experience. The event boasts over 150 programs, including book exhibitions, lectures, seminars and interactive workshops, with an aim to appeal to audiences of all ages with storytelling and artistic brilliance.

At the heart of the fair is the main exhibition, "Laputa — Children in Verbs," featuring more than 400 titles for young readers to freely browse and flip through. The display highlights the importance of tactile engagement with books, explained Kim Ji-eun, a children's book critic who curated the presentation.

The literary excitement will extend beyond the fairgrounds, with venues like the Busan Museum of Contemporary Art, the Hyundai Museum of Kids' Books & Art and the Busan Library hosting complementary book-themed shows and programs.

Visitors can enjoy free admission by preregistering on the BICBF official website by Nov. 27. On-site tickets cost 5,000 won ($3.6).