'Tazza' story writer, Busan webtoon festival director win top Manhwa Day honors

Writer Kim Se-young / Courtesy of Korea Cartoonists Association

Writer Kim Se-young and cartoonist Nam Jung-hoon were selected as the recipients of Achievement Award at the 25th Manhwa Day ceremony, scheduled for Monday, the Korea Cartoonists Association announced Wednesday.

Manhwa refers to Korean comics and cartoons. The association chose the two creators to recognize Kim's pioneering role in establishing the independent value of comic storytelling and Nam's dedication to building the comics ecosystem in Busan.

Shin Il-sook, president of the Korea Cartoonist Association, praised Kim as "a pioneer who opened up the horizon of Korean manhwa storytelling and mentor who inspired junior writers," and Nam as "a reliable lighthouse that sustained the regional comics ecosystem."

Kim has influenced Korea’s comics scene since his debut in 1973, having written the scripts for nearly 200 stories.

His collaboration with veteran cartoonist Huh Young-man produced masterpieces such as “Oh, Han River,” “Mr. Q” and the “Tazza” series. Through these and other works, including “Rainbow Chaser” and “Gamble City,” Kim showed how important the comic scriptwriter's role was.

"This chance encounter, which began in 1973 with a proposal from two friends, led me to the path of manhwa,” Kim said. "This award is also for all the story writers who endured the unknown years with me."

Cartoonist Nam Jung-hoon / Courtesy of Korea Cartoonists Association

Co-recipient Nam is recognized as a central figure in the Busan comics scene, having worked consistently since his debut with serialized children's comics for Busan MBC, and later with webtoons like “Small” and “Masco Masco.”

He mainly helped set up the regional comic scene, best shown by his nine years as director of the Busan Global Webtoon Festival.

During the decline of the print comics industry, Nam remained committed to Busan, rallying local artists to found the Busan-South Gyeongsang Province Cartoonists Solidarity and dedicating time to cultivating new talent as an adjunct professor at Busan Arts College.

"This award is not mine alone, but a result of the collective efforts of local artists who built the Busan Global Webtoon Festival and those who worked hard behind the scenes,” Nam said. "I will continue to explore ways for regional manhwa to naturally integrate with urban culture."