Cartoonist depicts life of former sex slave

Cover for cartoonist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim's cartoon book "Pool" / Courtesy of Bori Publishing

Keum Suk Gendry-Kim Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul

By Baek Byung-yeul

Paris-based cartoonist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim has penned a new book depicting the life of a former sex slave.

Titled “Pool,” (meaning ‘grass’ in Korean), the book sheds light on Lee Ok-seon, who was forced to work as a sex slave for the Japanese army during World War II. When she was forced into slavery she was 16 years old.

In the book, Gendry-Kim depicts the life of the former sex slavery victim Lee who now works as a civil rights activist.

“It took three years to complete. I named the book ‘Pool’ because we can see grass everywhere,” Gendry-Kim told The Korea Times. “Her life represents a living history which we have to remember.”

“Pool” is not her first book about the sex slavery victims.

Gendry-Kim’s short cartoon telling the victim’s story was featured at the Angouleme International Comics Festival in France three years ago. Including Gendry-Kim, a group of Korean artists displayed 20 comic strips and video works and the exhibition received great response at one of the world’s largest cartoon festivals.

Gendry-Kim became involved in raising awareness of the plight of the former Korean sex slaves ever since she worked as an interpreter for Korean cartoonist Jung Kyung-a, who came to France to introduce her cartoon “Reports of the Comfort Women” in 2000.