『Bang! K-Webtoon』
A Korean webtoon exhibition
Exhibition Dates: OCT 31, 2022 - DEC 16, 2022
Gallery Korea of the Korean Cultural Center New York
460 Park Avenue, 6th Floor, NYC
Korean Cultural Center New York (KCCNY) and the Korean Manhwa Contents Agency, branches of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea are pleased to present the Bang! K-webtoon exhibit introducing major Korean webtoons, to be held from October 31st to December 16th, 2022 at the Gallery Korea of the Korean Cultural Center New York (460 Park Ave, 6th Floor, New York, NY).
Korean webtoons are gaining huge following worldwide and are often the source materials for TV and film content as well, further fueling the “K-Drama syndrome.” Bang! K-webtoon being held in New York is all the more meaningful as the city is the mecca of pop culture, to present the globally beloved qualities of webtoons.
With the success of Korean dramas like Squid Game, Sweet Home, Hellbound, and All of Us Are Dead, on Netflix, the world’s largest OTT platform, the worldwide audience are able to access Korean drama contents like never before. What’s noteworthy here is that numerous Korean programs that succeeded on the OTT platform were originally webtoons.
Korean webtoons are sweeping across the world through various platforms, including the U.S. and Europe, creating a “K-webtoon Syndrome!” This K-webtoon exhibition in New York, the mecca of world fashion, culture, and art, will provide an opportunity for New Yorkers to experience the charm and global appeal of webtoons as the source of so many of the contents we enjoy.
This exhibit features Navillera: Like a Butterfly (Story by HUN, illustrations by Jimin), a nominee for Best Web Comic at the 2022 Eisner Awards, considered the “Oscars” of the comics industry, True Beauty (by Yaongyi) which gained international fame for its glamorous illustrations and its TV drama adaptation, and The Red Sleeve (adaptation/storyboards by Dopamine/Pena, illustrations by CreativeSUMM), about the romance of King Jeongjo, the 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty.
By presenting K-webtoons that reflect the emotions, costumes, and artistic beauty of Korea but also contents that showcase modern and contemporary Korean culture, the exhibit hopes to become a platform to share with the world about the range of Korean webtoons as a pioneering genre in digital content.
For this particular exhibit, The Red Sleeve will feature material and items from Kwakjangyangmunrok and Gungnyeosa with the cooperation of the Seoul History Museum for a comprehensive understanding of the lives of gungnyeo or court ladies. With the help of Namwon City where Gwanghalluwon Garden, a scenic site acknowledged by the state, is located and the Cultural Heritage Administration, a royal robe and the outfits of gungnyeo will be on display to promote the beauty of hanbok, Korean traditional clothing.
Acting Director Choi Hyun-seung of the Korean Cultural Center New York stated, “I look forward to seeing K-webtoons make an impressive entrance onto the global stage and to watch it grow to become another integral cultural content, like K-pop, that represents South Korea.”
Director Shin Jong-chul of the Korean Manhwa Contents Agency said, “I hope the K-webtoon exhibit which is being held in continued affiliation with foreign missions will serve as an opportunity to promote Korean webtoons even further and enable exchange across cultures.”
The exhibition is organized and presented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Korean Cultural Center New York, the Korean Manhwa Contents Agency, with special support from the Cultural Heritage Administration and Namwon City
Introducing the Webtoons
True Beauty (여신강림)
What would it be like to live like a goddess? Ju-gyeong, who’s insecure about her looks, gives herself a complete makeover which turns her into an undeniable goddess. She has a special tool for becoming a goddess: her makeup skills. True Beauty by author Yaongyi, deals with the themes of makeup and our society where our outward appearances are considered most important. Released in the Challenge League on Naver and then moved up to the Best Challenge League before becoming an official Naver webtoon on April 3, 2018. This webtoon became very popular for the entertainment value of its story and the realistic illustrations of the characters. It ranked among the top choices on Line Webtoon (currently Webtoon) around the world and Naver Webtoon in the first half of 2019 and was adapted into a TV drama series which aired on December 9, 2020 on tvN, which catalyzed a “goddess syndrome” riding on its popularity.
The Red Sleeve (옷소매 붉은 끝동)
King Jeongjo, the 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty, was strict on others and himself as the monarch of reform. But he also cherished one woman in his heart. The love story of King Jeongjo, the 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty, and Uibin Seong Deok-im in this historical romance webtoon was based on a web novel by Kang Migang. The red cuffs on the sleeves on the jackets of girls and women who served in the royal palace signified that they were official gung-nyeo, or court ladies, and the title reflects this. The webtoon was published every Tuesday and Friday on Kakao Page starting October 1, 2021 and the TV drama adaptation was aired on the MBC channel from November 12, 2021 to January 1, 2022. This is a prime example of the expandability of transmedia contents as the original web novel was made into a webtoon and thus a “novel comic” and then a TV drama series.
Navillera: Like a Butterfly (나빌레라)
HUN, the writer known for the webtoon Secretly, Greatly, wrote the webtoon Navillera: Like a Butterfly which was published in 4 parts from July 26, 2016 to April 12, 2021. 70-year-old Sim Deok-chu, who reflects on his life after his friend dies and decides to learn ballet which is something he had always wanted to do, and Lee Chae-rok, a ballerino who’s learning ballet against his will, go through various ups and downs as they attend the same ballet class. When this webtoon first aired on the tvN channel on March 22, 2021 as a TV drama series, it rocketed interest in ballet and then was even produced as a musical. It was also nominated on July 23, 2022 for a Will Eisner Award for Best Web Comic, considered the Oscars of comics, and was acknowledged for its artistic value and popular appeal worldwide.
