K-comics and webtoons exhibition to tour six countries in Asia and Europe

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K-comics and webtoons exhibition to tour six countries in Asia and Europe

Published: 20 Jun. 2024, 10:39

YOON SO-YEON
yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr

Poster of the ″K-Comics World Tour″ exhibition in The Philippines [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

A government-organized K-comics and webtoon exhibition will tour six countries in Asia and Europe starting Friday and running until November.

The "K-Comics World Tour" exhibition will begin in the Philippines on Friday, followed by stops in Vietnam, Indonesia and Belgium in September, Italy in October and Singapore in November, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (Kocca) said Thursday.

Each event will take place in partnership with local culture centers, focusing on comics and webtoons tailored to the tastes and preferences of local readers, according to the Culture Ministry.

The Philippines' exhibition will be held at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, or The M, from Friday to Aug. 10. It will revolve around two main rom-com novel-based comics that have been adapted into popular drama series "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim" and "The Red Sleeve."

"Secretary Kim" was also remade into a Filipino drama series last March and topped the local online video streaming service Viu for three weeks. The exhibit will feature real-life recreations of the office setting from "Secretary Kim" and the illustrator from "The Red Sleeve" will hold a workshop for local visitors.

The other five exhibitions will include recreations of popular works suited to local preferences, along with open competitions for local creators, talk sessions and business meetings.

"Many comic readers around the world are still used to published works and find webtoons unfamiliar, except for some countries," said an official at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

"Just as BTS and Blackpink were able to expand the scope of K-pop through their performances, we hope that the 'world tour' of K-comics and webtoons will help the country's creators expand their readership and make their mark in the Asian and European regions."

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]