Cartoonist sheds light on untold modern Korean history

A scene from “The Story of Nogeun-ri” Courtesy of the artist

This is the fourth in a series of interviews with resident cartoonists of the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency’s Manhwa Business Center. ― ED.

Park Gun-woong

By Baek Byung-yeul

Famous for his black-and-white drawing technique, cartoonist Park Gun-woong has been recognized for portraying Korea’s untold modern history.

Ever since he came into the spotlight with his debut “manhwa,” or comic, “Kkot” (flower) in 2002, which tells the story of an unconverted long-term political prisoner in South Korea, Park has been shedding new light on almost forgotten historical incidents, such as the brutal massacres that occurred during the Korean War (1950-1953).

In his 2006 work, “The Story of Nogeun-ri,” Park depicts the tragedy of a family that was engaged in the Nogeun-ri Massacre, in which hundreds of Korean civilians were killed by the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

The cartoonist also deals with the “Bodo (National Guidance) League Incident,” in which the South Korean military and police executed some 5,000 civilians out of fear that they would help the invading North Korean forces at the beginning of the Korean War, in his latest work, “Eoneu Mulpurenamue-ui Gieok” (Memories of an Ash Tree).

Park was highly recognized when he won the grand prize at last year’s Bucheon International Comics Festival with “Hours of the Beast,” a comic book exploring the 22 days of torture that late lawmaker and democratic activist Kim Geun-tae suffered in September 1985, when the country was under the military regime of Chun Doo-hwan.

In an interview with The Korea Times, Park said he had to embark on a journey to restore somewhat buried history because, “Remembering past history is the only way not to repeat those mistakes in the future.

In “Hours of the Beast,” cartoonist Park Gun-woong explores 22 days of torture that late lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Kim Geun-tae suffered. / Courtesy of the artist

“When I tried to become a cartoonist a decade ago, I realized that there are only a few comics dealing with modern Korean history as it is sensitive subject matter,” Park said at a cafe at the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province on Sept. 17.

“I especially focused on incidents that occurred before and after the Korean War. I was disappointed that most of us just have turned our faces away from a lot of terrible things that happened during that period. I thought those historical incidents must not be forgotten and should be reinstated correctly,” he said.

Answering to what inspired him to become a cartoonist, Park simply said he chose to become a cartoonist as drawing manhwa was the easiest path for a penniless artist with a lot of stories to tell.

“I majored in Western painting in the university and I was going to make a film after graduating the school and finishing my compulsory military duty. But I realized it would take too much time, so I changed my mind and started drawing manhwa,” he said.

While most cartoonists began adopting digital devices to reduce production time, Park still hangs on to a traditional way of drawing which involves using his brush.

“I also do not use digital devices in the post production. But I still work with different kinds of pencils for my comics as I love the way of the stroke of the brush,” he said, adding he put his emphasis on what kinds of content he can deliver to his readers rather than his way of painting.

“It is not important at all, whether it is digital or analogue. The digital devices only have one advantage, that it can help creators to finish their work faster. For me, I think what I am trying to say is more important,” he said.

When asked about his next work, the cartoonist said he’s thinking of depicting the Vietnam War.

“As you know, Korean soldiers have done atrocities to civilians during the war. I would like to mention about that in my upcoming work,” Park said, adding he plans to take a trip to Vietnam this winter.

Park also said he’s working on preproduction for science fiction comics.

“I have been working on modern Korean history as I have felt duty-bound to depict it. But as a cartoonist, I also would like to show that I can go beyond what I have done before,” he said. “Thus, I will go to science fiction for my next work before dealing with the Vietnam War. I would like to show the ugliness of people in power through a fictional setting of the near future.”