KPIPA Expands Export Opportunities for Korean Children’s Books at Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, November 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ten Korean publishers will exhibit in person, and 100 consigned titles from 40 publishers will be on display, including international award winners.
One-on-one rights meetings with international publishers and agencies and a shared meeting space will help Korean publishers reach Asian markets.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), led by Minister Choi Hwi-young, and the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), led by President Kim Seung-su, will operate the Korea Rights Center at the 2026 China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF) to support the sale of international rights to Korean children’s books. The fair runs from Friday, November 13, through Sunday, November 15, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai, China.
The Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF) is dedicated to publishing for children and young adults, with exhibits spanning picture books, nonfiction, educational titles, literature and other content for young readers. This breadth within children’s publishing gives CCBF a distinct profile alongside the London and Frankfurt book fairs, which serve the publishing industry as a whole, and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, which is especially known for picture books and illustration. CCBF also provides a forum for publishing professionals from across Asia and around the world to exchange ideas and build business relationships.
KPIPA will operate the 90-square-meter Korea Rights Center at Booth 3B02 in the Copyright Zone of Hall 1. Ten Korean publishers will exhibit in person, and the center will showcase 100 titles consigned by 40 publishers unable to attend. International publishing professionals will be able to discover and discuss rights to leading titles from both groups.
The center will showcase a range of children's books, including picture books and titles that explore the environment and ecology, science and general knowledge, and children's emotions and relationships. Highlights include If You Want to Eat a Red Apple (written by Jin Joo, with photographs by Lee Ga-hee, Finger Publishing), winner of the 2025 BolognaRagazzi Award in the Opera Prima category. The center will also feature Star Papa (Han Dam-hee, Book Gorae), the picture book behind the winning entry in the Crossmedia Projects category at the 2025 BolognaRagazzi CrossMedia Awards. Other featured titles include The Heart Bowl (Jeon Bora, Tokkiseom), which received a 2026 BolognaRagazzi Special Mention in Opera Prima, and Moving Away (Lee Ji-yeon, Laughing Peanut Children’s Foundation), which received a 2023 BolognaRagazzi Special Mention in Fiction. The broader selection reflects the interests of young readers in Korea and changes in Korean society, introducing international publishing professionals to the range of subjects and storytelling approaches in Korean children’s books.
Rights meetings will be arranged both through the fair’s advance matchmaking program and directly by exhibitors. The organizers will use information submitted in advance, including exhibitors’ preferred areas of discussion and featured titles, to match them with international publishers and buyers. Exhibitors can also schedule meetings directly with existing contacts and prospective buyers. A shared meeting space will be available to Korean publishers outside the official exhibitor group for meetings with international buyers.
By participating in CCBF, KPIPA is extending its support for Korean publishers at international book fairs to Asia, building on its work in London, Bologna and Frankfurt. At CCBF, KPIPA will help Korean children’s publishers connect with rights buyers in China and other Asian markets.
“The Shanghai International Children’s Book fair is an important opportunity to see where children’s publishing is heading across the sector and to connect with publishing professionals in Asia,” said KPIPA President Kim Seung-su. “We will help bring the quality and international appeal of Korean children’s books to the attention of publishers abroad and turn that interest into rights deals.”

Park Se-hyun
KPIPA
+82 63-219-2866
psh26@kpipa.or.kr