The 13th Biryongso Literary Award Winner

“Will it get easier if I keep going to school?”

For children who have a difficult time at first
A story of courage and support

There has never been a fairy tale with such a high magnification lens!
With a delicate gaze, we can understand the anxious minds of children.
A warm and comforting piece.

- From the judges' comments (Kim Jin-kyung, Kang Jeong-yeon, Kim Ri-ri, Kim Ji-eun)

Jang Hee-jeong's "Finding Captain Kim Ji-woo," winner of the 13th Biryongso Literary Award, has been published.
The Biryongso Literary Award has been selecting fresh and unique works every year for lower grades who are seriously beginning to read independently, and award-winning works such as “Midnight Moonlight Restaurant,” “The Lottery Machine That Always Wins,” and “Inside the Pencil Case Deep at Night” have quickly become bestsellers and revitalized lower grade literature whenever they are published.
This year's winning work, "Finding Captain Kim Ji-woo," was selected as the winner after receiving praise as "a children's story with the highest magnification lens."


March is a month full of new things.
There are many things that we encounter for the first time.
Children start school for the first time in a new semester, meet new teachers in new classes.
You also have to meet new friends and make new friends.
The same goes for parents.
Just like children going to school for the first time, parents are also stepping into the role of parents for the first time.
"Finding Captain Kim Ji-woo" is a work that offers warm support and courage to all those who are experiencing the excitement and fear of their first time.


The main characters, Jiwoo and Seonho, are both first graders.
Even before entering school, I had prepared thoroughly, such as learning how to use chopsticks, write my name correctly, and open a milk carton with my hands. However, when I actually went to the new school, nothing was easy.
Even though I've made up my mind, I still feel awkward, shy, scared, and afraid of entering an unfamiliar classroom.
The everyday story of two children overcoming their own difficulties at their own pace unfolds with surprising detail and interest.


Kim Jin-kyung, a children's author who was in charge of the judging, commented, "For a children's story for lower grades to be this serious and interesting, it must have required not only a lot of literary training but also a deep understanding of children." Critic Kim Ji-eun (a children's and youth literature critic and professor at Seoul Institute of the Arts) said, "Every single action of the children's characters is concrete and relatable.
“I am delighted and happy to have encountered a childhood fairy tale with such a high magnification lens.”
Author Jang Hee-jung, who recently made her literary debut with "Finding Captain Kim Ji-woo," shares her heart with children during the day, providing psychological therapy and counseling, and writes books that capture the hearts of children at night.
Because I have looked into the hearts of children more deeply and for a longer time than anyone else, I have filled the story with as much delicacy and vividness as possible.
Kim Moo-yeon's vivid illustrations, reminiscent of an animation, cheerfully bring to life the wholesome charm of this fairy tale.