The 4th Biryongso Historical Fairy Tale Award Grand Prize Winner in 2025

“Do you know? With peace of mind, you can do anything.
“Will a world come where we can live freely?”

Crown Prince Yi San, who cannot sleep after his father's death
Gyu-an, born into humble circumstances, dreams of becoming an interpreter.

Among the sound of rain that calls sleep on a summer day
The story of two boys who lean on each other and then take a step forward.

A new fairy tale of resolution has appeared.

Struggling to survive with pain that cannot be resolved alone
The process of the two boys opening their hearts to each other slowly seeps into the reader like the sound of a snail.

-Jury comments by Kim Nam-joong (children's story writer) and Choi Na-mi (children's story writer)

When the rain pours down on a summer day, people take a short nap, leaving the midday heat behind them.
That's why the rain that falls in summer is called 'Jambi'.
Kim Do-young's 『Summer Rain, Jambi』, which won the grand prize at the 4th Historical Fairy Tale Award in 2025, depicts the meeting between Crown Prince Lee San, who cannot sleep due to the pressure and fear of having to survive while carrying the hot and painful memory of losing his father terribly, and Gyu-an, who was born into lowly society but has a clever personality and a keen ear for sounds and dreams of becoming an interpreter.
This is a new historical fairy tale that will bring emotion and resonance, following in the footsteps of 『The Child Who Climbed the Wall』 and 『Hansung to Seoul』 presented by Biryongso.
"Even without a grand historical narrative, the work's understanding of the times and the characters' individual personalities are enough to entertain and move readers," and while the story of Yi San is well-known, the addition of "the story of Gyu-an, a three-dimensional character who vividly expresses emotions between a realistic understanding of her situation and her desires" led to the book's praise, saying, "A new kind of fairy tale of resolution was born." (Judges Kim Nam-joong and Choi Na-mi)

The illustrations were by Haerang, the illustrator of 『Border』, the winner of the 2025 French Socière Prize.
The image of two people in the summer rain that pours down, then subsides, and then slowly stops, and the scenery inside and outside the palace are captured in a modern interpretation, giving a new joy to reading a historical fairy tale.


Gyu-an, born to a noble father and a commoner mother, was beaten and abused by the lady of the household and her older brothers, but one day, she was suddenly summoned to the palace.
Grandmother Yeongbin, who was worried about the Crown Prince's safety, chose Saga's child to give him a companion.
Gyu-an, who met Lee San, whom she had only heard of through bad rumors, just wants to leave the palace alive.
Meanwhile, after his father's death, Isan, who had been unable to eat or sleep properly and had been reading books without any distractions due to his grief and self-reproach, clicks his tongue at Gyu-an, who casually tells lies that are obvious in his responses, but for some reason, continues to keep her by his side.
The two boys, who were as far apart as the sky and the ground, gradually come to understand each other's situation, find peace through each other, and gain the strength to move forward.


Summer, the sound of rain, sunflowers.
As we follow the footsteps of the two boys, we soon discover the beautiful metaphor the author has planted in those three words.
And by leaning on this story, we too gain the confidence that it's okay to take a break, and that even after taking a break, we can move forward again.
It is the most beautiful sound of the rain that 『Rain that Falls in Summer, Rain』 tells us.