[Theme] Korean Comics Culture and the Current State of Webtoons | “Word & World” Foreign Languages and Literatures Lecture Series

[Date & Time] April 24, 2026，16:00-17:30

[Location]Room307, Mingde International Building, Zhongguancun Campus

[Speaker]Yoon Ki-heon, Professor of Animation, Department of Design, Pusan National University; President of the Korean Society of Comics and Animation. He received his master’s degree in Manga from Kyoto Seika University in Japan and later earned his Ph.D. in Design from Kyungpook National University in Korea. His primary research focuses on the modern history of East Asian comics. He has authored more than ten monographs, including The Historical Dictionary of Korean Comics and Animation, and has published over twenty academic papers on modern East Asian comics history.

[Introduction]This lecture invites you into the unique world of Korean comics, with a focus on the rise and development of webtoons. Starting from the shared foundations and differences within the East Asian Sinosphere, it explores how Korean webtoons emerged in the aftermath of the late-1990s financial crisis, rapidly grew alongside the internet and mobile culture, and eventually expanded onto the global stage. The lecture will also examine the commercial potential of webtoons as intellectual property (IP), particularly in film and television adaptations, as well as the underlying philosophies of life, emotional expression, and cultural characteristics reflected in Korean society.