A festival that nurtures imagination and dreams through picture books has splendidly kicked off in the city of books, Jeonju. On the 29th, Jeonju City held the opening ceremony of the 4th Jeonju International Picture Book Fair at Palbok Art Factory, marking the beginning of a month-long journey.

This year's book fair, themed 'Magic,' features original illustration exhibitions by famous domestic and international picture book artists such as Baek Hee-na, Sara Lundberg, and Kitty Crowder until June 29th. The opening ceremony was attended by officials from the Swedish Embassy in South Korea and representatives from publishing houses, adding to the significance of international cultural exchange.

At the Palbok Art Factory's Ipalm Tree Square, the 'Book Market' will run until June 1st, with 22 publishing houses including Borim, Sagyejeol, Munhakdongne, and Changbi participating in book discounts, author signing events, and various activities.

Additionally, there are various audience-participation programs such as a lecture by author Seo Hyun, highlighting the works of Swedish author Astrid Lindgren and Kitty Crowder, a solo performance by author Park Byung-joo, drawing workshops, and paper puppet shows.

During the book fair, participating in major programs and purchasing books will also give attendees the chance to participate in a merchandise raffle event, with special merchandise featuring the representative image of author Lee Soo-ji being provided as.gif'>ts.

Mayor Woo Beom-gi stated, "Picture books are not just simple children's books but a medium that can expand into the content industry," and expressed his intention to develop Jeonju into a hub city where picture book creation, distribution, and exhibitions converge.

Meanwhile, the original illustration exhibitions will take place at Palbok Art Factory (Baek Hee-na, Sara Lundberg) and Wansan Library (Eva Lindström, Kitty Crowder).