Subin Kim: Webtoons, Artists, and Industry | Korea Deconstructed #020

Subin Kim is a writer, translator, and journalist. His work currently appears in Al Jazeera and he’s previously been associated with the BBC and NK News. He’s a self-described serf and a lover of pigs.

Our conversation started with understanding what webtoons actually are and who reads them. We discussed the popular webtoon Miaseng (미생) and how a lot of content seems to be based on daily life and people’s ordinary struggles. Subin told me about the relationship between webtoons and portal sites. Gang Full (강풀)’s 2003 Soonjung Manhwa was the first webtoon to achieve great success and from there we looked at popular modern stars such as Yaongyi (야옹이). Subin recommends Damage Over Time as a webtoon that would make a great Netflix adaption. We then talk about the future in terms of whether they will become more interactive, and if they can achieve international success like K-pop and K-dramas.

Subin’s website: https://subin.kim/

Subin’s writing on webtoons for Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/1/31/korean-webtoons

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SubinBKim

Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard

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