Prizewinning student cartoon satirizing President Yoon causes controversy

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Tue, October 3, 2023 | 06:45

Prizewinning student cartoon satirizing President Yoon causes controversy

Posted : 2022-10-04 13:30

Updated : 2022-10-05 10:50

A cartoon, titled "Yoonsukyeolcha," depicting a train with the face of President Yoon Suk-yeol, which won the top prize in a nationwide student cartoon contest / Screenshot from Twitter

By Kim Rahn

A cartoon that won the first prize at a recent comics festival has caused a stir for satirizing President Yoon Suk-yeol, starting a debate over whether it was appropriate to showcase the work and give it an award.

According to the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, a cartoon created by a high schooler, titled "Yoonsukyeolcha" (a portmanteau of the president's name and the Korean word for "train"), won the first prize for the high school category in the nationwide student cartoon and webtoon contest, organized by the agency.

The work was on display in the lobby of Korea Manhwa Museum during the Bucheon International Comics Festival, which was hosted by the agency from Friday to Monday in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.

The cartoon shows a train with the face of President Yoon, evoking Thomas the Tank Engine, running on a track and scaring people in front of it who are running away. In the engine room stands a woman resembling first lady Kim Keon-hee, while people wearing prosecutor's gowns and holding swords are in the passenger cars behind. Yoon was a prosecutor for nearly 30 years before quitting and running for president.

Internet users showed mixed responses to the cartoon, mostly surprise that a work satirizing the current administration had been picked.

"I was surprised with the student's quality expression and the courage to satirize the president, who is in the most powerful position. But I was more surprised with the judges who selected this work," an online user wrote on Twitter.

"I like this work, but I'm also concerned that the administration may have prosecutors investigate (the student and the contest organizers)," another wrote.

Some complained that the student and the judges were "being leftist" by criticizing the conservative Yoon government, while others praised the student, saying, "Even high school students know that the Yoon administration is going the wrong way."

The organizer said that the judges were selected randomly among a pool of experts in the cartoon industry, implying the judges did not have specific political inclinations and picked the winners fairly.

"Cartoons lampooning reality have existed for a long time," an official of the agency said. "The work received the first prize, so we displayed it at the museum so that many visitors could see it, just like we have done with the contest winners every year."

However, as the controversy grew, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said, Tuesday, that the cartoon selection was against the contest's purpose and it would take action.

"Selecting and displaying a cartoon openly dealing with a political issue is against the purpose of the contest, which is to encourage students' creative desire for cartooning, so we express regret to the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency and issue a stern warning," the ministry said in a statement.

Adding that the agency receives 10.2 billion won ($7.1 million) in government subsidies annually and the top prize of the contest is given in the name of culture minister, the ministry said, "When we approved the agency to use the culture ministry's name as a sponsor for the contest, it was notified that the approval could be canceled if the agency or the contest draws public criticism. We'll thoroughly review the prizewinner selection process and take necessary steps."

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr