[Opinion] A Controversial Comic Strip

A newspaper has been running the comic strip “Gang-An Namja (Man)” for five years. Heo Young-man, who draws the Dong-A Ilbo strip “Sik Gaek,” once said that he rarely reads the cartoon, but when Jo Cheol-bong, the main character, appears, sweating, in the drawing, he reads the strip cartoon.

Heo refreshes himself with Jo Cheol-bong’s love life after a long day of sketching in his drawing room. To him, this is like having a fantasy to lubricate his life, and like eating chocolate to give excitement.

Cheong Wa Dae suspended its subscription to the daily, citing that the cartoon strip induces shame on female employees. Cartoonist Lee Won-ho said that it would be better for Cheong Wa Dae to say it disliked the newspaper’s opinion, rather than taking issue with the cartoon. The decision may send the signal to public servants to avoid reading the newspaper. Yet, the female employees of Cheong Wa Dae are not a barometer of our society. Some women with professional careers like to read comic strips as well.

When I lived in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, I used to take a walk in Ilsan Lake Park where sometimes I bumped into Lee who was walking at a quick pace. He has to maintain his physique to draw several cartoon strips for newspapers. Lee complained, “Jo Cheol-bong never acted abnormally. After being criticized during the parliamentary inspection, I did not depict his having sex. And the apartment guard was complaining about it.” I enjoy having a nap after a meal than reading the strip cartoons. Yet I don’t like “the high-minded” who argue that they should even regulate those who enjoy or feel satisfaction from reading them.”

Representative Jeong Cheong-rae asserted that the cartoon should put adult-only sign next to the title. Regulations on obscenity differ depending on nations and the nature of the media. Some countries do not include written medium on the list of restrictions, because it has less impact than video or picture media. “Gang-An Man” is cartoon strip that is liked by adult Koreans. Cheong Wa Dae and the National Assembly should turn their eyes to the Internet video clips and cartoons that teenagers can freely get access to.

Hwang Ho-taek, Editorial Writer, hthwang@donga.com