Some Classic Korean Manhwa Titles

Korean manhwa (not to be confused with Japanese manga) celebrates its one hundredth birthday this year. The manhwa publishing industry has had its ups and downs, enduring censorship, book burning (consider the happy idea of manhwa burnings every National Children’s Day in the 1970s) and outright banning. The form is now undergoing something of a renaissance, with manhwa titles available in print and online, and also via ‘manhwabangs’ (manhwa rental libraries). In honour of the occasion, here’s a sampling of some classic Korean manhwa titles, taken from a series of articles in _list, the quarterly publication put out by the hosts for my Korean residency, the KLTI. Otherwise known as ‘The Institute’. Enjoy …

There are of course many more – I highly recommend the articles, and only wish I could read some of these stories, especially ‘A Finger That Shows Pictures’, written by the awesomely-named Kimchi Salad. You just cannot make this stuff up.