What is a Manhwa? Definition

Manhwa: The Epic Journey from Censorship to Global Webtoon

There's no doubt that in recent decades, Oriental culture has resonated in the West, leading many audiences to become familiar with terms like manga and anime. Nowadays, both of these terms are common knowledge, as manga and anime are a global force to be reckoned with. The massive growth they've had in recent years is something to be admired. However, a few other terms have started gaining immense popularity, specifically: manhwa and manhua.

In simple terms, manhwa are the comics and graphic novels originating from South Korea.

Linguistically, the word manhwa (Korean: 만화) shares the same sinographic root (from the Chinese character manhua, 漫畫) as manga (Japanese) and manhua (Chinese). Essentially, the term in all three languages means "improvised drawings" or "strip cartoons." However, from a Western perspective, each word is used to indicate the country of origin:

1. Manga: Japanese comics.
2. Manhwa: South Korean comics.
3. Manhua: Chinese comics.

While the term Manhwa is used in Korea to refer to any comic, outside of Korea, manhwa has been established as the term to refer specifically to South Korean-originated comics.

The History: From Satire to Industry

Origins and Early Development (18th Century – 1945)

The earliest examples of sequential art in Korea date back to the 18th century, with satirical works like the Uiyeoldo. Nevertheless, modern comics began in the early 20th century with the emergence of the press.

1. 1909: The first single-panel political cartoon is published in the Daehanminbo newspaper, the work of Lee Do Young under the pseudonym Gwanjae.

1. 1910s – 1945: During the period of Japanese occupation, comics continued to develop in newspapers, implementing four-panel strips, although they were heavily subjected to censorship.

The Post-War Period and the Golden Age (1945 – 1980)

With the end of the Japanese occupation and Korean independence in 1945, comics experienced a brief boom, and the first comic magazine, Manhwa Haengjin, was founded, although it was quickly closed by authorities.

With the foundation of the Republic of Korea in 1948, the anti-communist, conservative government had little tolerance for creative works employing social commentary and political satire.

During the Korean War (1950–1953) and the following years, comics were often used as a propaganda tool to foster patriotism, mobilize the masses, and demonize enemies. Nevertheless, it was also a time of great artistic development:

1. More complex stories emerged, and classic literary works, such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, were adapted, serialized in magazines, and compiled into graphic novels in the style of the Japanese tankōbon.

1. New styles and genres began to develop, from science fiction and romance to comedy.
2. In the 1960s, large publishing houses monopolized the market. The industry continued to grow, although in the 1970s, it shifted more towards producing educational comics for children.

Decline and Crisis (1990s – Early 2000s)

The industry's expansion stalled in the 1990s and a significant decline began. This downturn coincided with the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, which severely impacted the public's purchasing power and ability to afford non-essential items like comics.

The final blow to traditional printed comics came in 1998 when the ban on Japanese content was lifted, opening the door to an unparalleled competitor: manga.

The Digital Renaissance

The same factor that threatened to sink the print industry—the internet—was what drove the rebirth of Korean comics, but in a completely new form: the webtoon.

The Birth of the Webtoon (Early 2000s)

In the early 2000s, online comic reading platforms began to emerge, and the term webtoon was used for the first time, coined by the South Korean web service Chollian. Chollian was an early dial-up service that transitioned into a modern web portal, providing the necessary platform for this new medium.

That's how Love Story (Sunjeon Manhwa) by Kang Full in 2003 came to be a groundbreaking success, amassing over 60 million page views during its run. Its success was instrumental in establishing the webtoon as an engaging and popular storytelling medium that could perhaps compete with even known manga works.

Things didn't stop there, though: in 2004 Naver Webtoon was launched, quickly gaining popularity based on its vertical format, an infinite canvas easy to navigate on both mobile phones and computers. This success proved the digital format was ahead of its time, cementing the future of webtoon and similar works, too.

Evolution of the Format

During this period, manhwa stylistically separated itself from manga, shaping the elements that distinguish it today, such as:

1. The left-to-right reading direction.
2. A strong preference for full color.
3. The vertical scroll format with stacked panels.

The vertical scroll format was crucial, as it was optimized for reading on smartphones and mobile devices, a key factor in its global growth.

Global Impact and Popularity

Thanks to online accessibility and the mobile-optimized format, manhwa has transcended Korean borders, achieving massive global popularity.

1. Manhwa has influenced the comics industry by introducing new styles, concepts, and storytelling techniques.
2. Manhwa series have been adapted into a variety of media, including anime, live-action dramas (K-dramas), and video games.
3. Artists like Sing-Shong (author of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint and The World After The Fall) have achieved global fame.
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In conclusion, manhwa has overcome decades of censorship and economic crisis to become a dominant force in the global comics industry, primarily through its reinvention in the webtoon format. Its pioneers didn't only find what made them accessible but what made them unique and innovative. Thanks to the web, this format is now widely accessible to a global audience, and this is only the beginning of its impact.