KJCKorea
Journal Central

The Korean society cartoonist Kim, Sunghwan (hereafter Kim) took the journey to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and to East Asian countries from July 1st to 27th of 1962. Kim took a trip to these countries as a foreign correspondent of <DongAIlbo>. He published 29 sets of travelogue titled as “Gobau Traveling to East Asia” from July 9th to August 12th. Starting from 1955, Kim published “The Old Man Gobau” through <DongAIlbo>, criticizing first President of South Korea Rhee, Seungman’s administration. Through “The Old Man Gobau” he criticized how Rhee’s administration showed <corruption, wrongful elections, and how citizens are having a hard time because of the Rhee’s administration. Kim, who had deep connections with the readers for a long time later published a travelogue. He took an advantage of his comic skills and senses to match the eye-level of the general public and used exotic mood as a visual text. From Kim’s point of view, and what he had published through <DongAIlbo> showed characteristics of visual text that readers should focus on. First of all, Kim had a meaningful connection with the readers through “The Old Man Gobau” and attracted many readers. From “The Old Man Gobau”, Kim stood by the Korean citizens’ point of view and tried to resolve the issues of Korean society through his exotic humor. While Kim was traveling, he wrote down some of the episodes that he had experienced and turned that experience from a readers point of view. Second, Kim’s four-cut cartoons “The Old Man Gobau” and artwork of visual text showed characteristics of exotic moods and sensibility to the readers. Moreover, while Kim published, “Gobau Traveling to East Asia” he post ‘Traveling overseas” and put out a message “away” to the “The Old Man Gobau’s” readers. While Kim was traveling overseas he published a travelogue from the beginning of his journey until he came back. Kim published odd stories to the readers and this brought reader’s undivided attention along with humor. In the 1960s, there was a variety of travelogues were published, but some readers were not able to connect travelogue with reality. Intellectuals who publish their travelogue would often try to teach readers. On the other hand, Kim’s travelogue, rather than teaching readers or to give a lesson he used a technique of trying to meet their eye-level of criteria. Kim also focused his view of putting out a foreign place from the citizen’s perspective. Moreover, compare to prior travelogues and Kim’s travelogues the difference was that prior travelogues would often use language text to visualize the foreign countries, Kim’s travelogues inserted visual-text so that many readers can imagine beyond what is out in the foreign countries. The “The Old Man Gobau” had its own attentiveness with humor and satire through visual text which gave many Korean readers a second thought of “overseas travel.” It is noteworthy that Kim tried every aspect to reposition the images of East Asian countries.

Society Cartoonist, Kim, Sunghwan, ‘The Old Man Gobau’, <DongAIlbo>, 「Gobau Traveling to East Asia」, Visual Text, Travelogue