This propaganda webtoon targeting South Korean and diaspora readers was released around Feb 23, 2023 on the now-defunct North Korean website Uriminzokkiri.
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*Ch'on'gong is referring to the First Lady of the Republic of Korea, Kim Keon-hee.
**He uses the North Korean spelling "Ryongsan" rather than the South Korean "Yongsan", where President Yoon Suk-yeol and the First Lady live.
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*South Korean politician Yoo Seong-min served in the National Assembly multiple times. A former contender for Presidential and Gyeonggi Governor election, he ran for leadership of the People’s Power Party in early 2023 but dropped out on Jan 31.
world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_v…
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*The Chinese character 流 has the reading & meaning 흐를 류(유) [ryu/ yoo, meaning “to flow”].
Odd to see Hanja used in a N Korean propaganda comic.
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*Politician Lee Jun-seok was prob 1st to use neologism “YoonHaekKwan” in public in S Korea.
**Yoonsim = President Yoon's will. This neologism has appeared in S Korean media, alongside “minsim” the will of the people. namu.wiki/w/%EC%9C%A4%ED…
***There is no evidence that Yoo Seongmin was pushed out of the race for PPP leader by a change in Party rules, nor that Kim Keon-hee controls President Yoon.
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*Dogpublic of Korea - translation of 개한민국, wordplay on 대한민국 (Republic of Korea). This wordplay was part of the name of a 2004 album by the rock band N.EX.T. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEXT_(Kor…
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*But politician Na Kyung-won did not run for PPP Party leader in Feb 2023 due to a clash with the Presidential office, throwing her support behind Kim Gi-hyeon, the ultimate winner of the contest. koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/202…
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*The male disciple’s name appears to be a play on words of Han-guk (S Korean word for Korea).
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*RyongWaDae: N Korean spelling of Yongwadae, a portmanteau of Yongsan (location of the President’s office since 2002) with Ch’eongwadae (Blue House, previously the President’s office)
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*Ahn Cheol-soo was never in the lead in the race for PPP Party leader. Kim Gi-hyeon was already in the lead in early Feb and won the election in early March.
koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20…
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*安/안/an = Sino-Korean character for peacefulness, calm. It looks like the character for woman under a roof.
**The ROK system counts presidential terms, not people who served as President, so Yoon Suk-yeol is serving term #20, and is the 13th Korean to be President.
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*A reference to candlelight protests, especially those that brought down the presidency of Madam Park Geun-hye. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_o…
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Webtoon
“A world of shamans, a world of lawlessness”
Part 2 “A World of Hurt”
Illustrations by “Harpoon”
Originally posted around 7 April 2023 on (now defunct) uriminzokkiri.com/index.php?ptyp…
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*Deutsch Motors case
**Call for a special counsel probe: english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_e…
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/03/09/nat…
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*검찰 = prosecution, made up of Chinese characters 檢 investigate & 察 examine. Sword is a different character 劍 but sounds the same. This is wordplay.
**Kim Keon-hee’s thesis & “YUJI” blueroofpolitics.com/post/kookmin-u…
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*권력 = power, made up of Chinese characters 權 authority and 力 strength. Fist is a different character 拳 but sounds the same. Wordplay
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*On Choi Soonsil seen as a shaman. koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20…
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*Cartoon originally appeared in the New York Times November 6, 2016:
#NewYorkTimes nytimes.com/2016/11/07/opi…
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*On Yoon as prosecutor of Park koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/04/12/nat…
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* en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chung_Yoo…
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Webtoon
“A world of shamans, a world of lawlessness”
Part 3 “No sir!”
Illustrations by “Harpoon”
Originally posted at in late April 2023 uriminzokkiri.com/index.php?ptyp…
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Webtoon
“A world of shamans, a world of lawlessness”
Part 3 “No sir!”
Illustrations by “Harpoon”
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*“상” is the Korean transcription of the Japanese pronunciation of honorific “-san” meaning “Mister”.
**Supreme Court finalized rulings in favor of victims of Japan's wartime forced labor in January 2024. en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202401…
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*S Korea fully restored its bilateral military information-sharing pact with Japan in March 2023. en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202303…
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*This comic strip came out not long after President Yoon's visit to Japan and summit meeting with Prime Minister Kishida.
edition.cnn.com/2023/03/15/asi…
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*
*** edition.cnn.com/2023/03/15/asi…
english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_e…
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Webtoon
“A world of shamans, a world of lawlessness”
Part 4 “A Wrong Proverb”
Illustrations by “Harpoon”
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*Pres. Yoon’s office is on the 5th floor of the Yongsan building.
**도청 = 盜 도둑 도 + 聽 들을 청
***감청 = 監 볼 감 + 聽 들을 청 english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_e…
****US wiretapping of S. Korean presidential office has been an open secret for 40 yearshttps://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1087440
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* Leaked documents put S. Korea in awkward situation ahead of Yoon's state visit to U.S.
** National security advisor’s ouster could afford hard-liner Kim Tae-hyo stronger influence en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202304…
english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_e…
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*尾 꼬리 미 + 國 나라 국 (wordplay: it’s really “mi” 美 as in “beauty”)
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*A Korean proverb meaning “speak quietly: the walls have ears”.
**National Intelligence Service, formerly known as the KCIA.
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Webtoon
“A world of shamans, a world of lawlessness”
Part 5 “What’s the Problem?”
Illustrations by “Harpoon”
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*wordplay: Chinese proverb 水火相克 = 수화상극 = water & fire don’t go together.
수(su) = 水water & also 修 study, the first character in 수학(修能), short for 수학능력(修學能力) = scholastic aptitude.
화 = 火fire & also anger
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*June 16, 2023 “Yoon did not mean making college entrance exam easier: presidential office” koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/202…
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Webtoon
“A world of shamans, a world of lawlessness”
Part 6 “It’s no coincidence” (1)
Illustrations by “Harpoon”
First posted in early August 2023 on
and was reposted here: uriminzokkiri.com/index.php?ptyp…
pressarirang.org/1619
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*A reference to the late Lee Kun-Hee, former chairman of Samsung and his father, Lee Byung-chul. It is unclear why the N Korean spelling 리 is used rather than 이 for the surname Ri/Lee.
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*
“Yoon [...] passed the National Judicial Examination on his ninth attempt in 1991 at the age of 30.” koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20…
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*The real characters of Yoon Suk-yeol’s personal name are 錫 (주석 석) + 悅 (기쁠 열), so this is only half right.
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*The ROK system counts presidential terms, not people who served as President, so Yoon Suk-yeol is serving term #20, but is the 13th Korean to be President.
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* Yoon did do some manspreading in 2021.
** During a tv debate, Yoon had the character for “king” on the palm of his hand. Some said this came from Cheongong: en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202108…
en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202110…
english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_e…
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*
** reuters.com/world/asia-pac…
koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20…
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** koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20…
koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/202…
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**살(煞) = a negative energy or force (folklore)
***Won Hee-ryong 元喜龍 & Kim Keon-hee 金建希 have different “Hee” characters, but Won does have the same “Ryong” character meaning “dragon” as Yongsan. en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN202307…
Webtoon
“A world of shamans, a world of lawlessness”
Part 7 “It’s no coincidence” (2)
Illustrations by “Harpoon”
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*Won Hee-ryong was then Minister of Land, Infrastructure & Transport.
Map on screen is from a Jul 3, 2023 Hankyoreh article about land that is in the path of the planned Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway. hani.co.kr/arti/opinion/e…
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*삼십육계 줄행랑이 제일 = Chinese idiom 三十六計，走為上計 "Of the 36 Stratagems, fleeing is best" (Better a live coward than a dead hero or If all else fails, retreat.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty-Si…
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*Preselection means nomination by the Party for a given electorate or other position. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomination
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*Some PPP lawmakers drank from fishtanks in Noryangjin Market in July 2023
**A reference to tanks of irradiated water from Fukushima. Some did in fact give the water that nickname. asahi.com/ajw/articles/1…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discharge…
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koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/07/06/nat…
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살 = a harmful force or energy (folklore)
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*Kim Keong-hee's mother did receive a 1-year sentence for forging financial documents. english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_e…
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*Wordplay: 驅使 (구사, to have command of) is a homophone for 仇死 (enemy + death)
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*Oct 26 is “Bang Bang Day” blueroofpolitics.com/post/the-death…
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The End
Webtoon
“A world of shamans, a world of lawlessness”
Illustrations by “Harpoon”
Parts 1-7 Feb-Sept 2023
Released on Uriminzokkkiri.com
#NorthKorean Webtoon
“A world of shamans, a world of lawlessness” Illustrations by “Harpoon”
Parts 1-7
Released on Feb-Sept 2023
@threadreaderapp unroll
#DPRK #NorthKorea #comicbook #webtoon #KoreanwebtoonUriminzokkkiri.com
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