A documentary about samurai recently aired on Netflix is causing controversy because it distorts the Japanese invasions of Korea and glorifies Japan’s invasion.
This is part of Japan’s ongoing attempts to distort history in animation and popular culture in general, making us reflect on our limitations in failing to properly publicize Korean history.
In response to this situation, the ‘Young Yi Sun-shin met through webtoons’ project was launched.
This project will launch in 2024 through Daejeon Content Korea Lab’s crowdfunding, and aims to promote the true greatness of Yi Sun-sin to the world.
“It is possible to compare me to Nelson, but it is impossible to compare myself to Yi Sun-sin.” This remark was made by Japanese naval hero Heihachiro Togo, and clearly shows the greatness of Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
Sato Destaro, a thinker in the Japanese Navy, also praised Yi Sun-sin, saying, “The general I admire the most is Yi Sun-sin. His personality and genius cannot even be compared to Nelson.”
However, in Korea, Yi Sun-sin is often remembered only as “the general who built the turtle ship and blocked the Japanese army.” ‘Young Yi Sun-sin met through webtoons’ focuses on his youth and sheds new light on Yi Sun-sin as a person before being a great general.
This project tells the story of Yi Sun-sin, who did not lose his dreams despite poverty, failure, and cold treatment from those around him. Lee Ga-hee, director of the Korea Storytelling Institute, said, “Webtoons are the best media through which young people can project their concerns and dreams,” and added, “Yi Sun-sin’s courage and spirit of challenge will also be a message of hope for today’s youth.” .
Webtoon writer Park Je-hoo expressed confidence, saying, “The task of interpreting history in a modern way was challenging, but Yi Sun-sin is a person with the power to deliver a timeless message.”
Webtoons are not limited to just domestic readers.
We plan to reach international readers through collaboration with the K-Talks platform and WIN Media Group in Chicago, USA. K-Talks covers the webtoon production process and major episodes through its YouTube channel, and WIN Media Group plans to spread content to North America through IPTV, radio, and local media.
In addition, through the crowdfunding platform Tumblbug, we produce and provide goods such as eco bags, mood lights, mugs, and T-shirts linked to webtoons. These goods go beyond simple products and are used as viral content on SNS and online platforms, helping people easily access the story of Yi Sun-sin in their daily lives.
His legacy still shines today, to the extent that Daegu Catholic University has a master’s and doctoral course in Yi Sun-sin’s theology that studies Yi Sun-sin’s spirit and leadership.
This project, in collaboration with the Yi Sun-sin Theological Institute, focuses on reinterpreting Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s spirit and leadership in a modern way and communicating this to the public.
‘Meeting Young Yi Sun-sin through Webtoons’ is more than a simple historical project, it is a challenge to communicate with new generations and establish Yi Sun-sin as a global hero.
The webtoon, which consists of 8 parts (4 parts epilogue), is based on the content of the publisher ‘Brain to the World’ and is told from a first-person perspective, providing readers with a sense of immersion.
This project encompasses tradition and modernity through K-Talks, WIN TV, multilingual webtoon production, and cooperation with the Yi Sun-sin Theology Research Institute, and seeks to convey the spirit and values of Yi Sun-sin to readers around the world.
Lee Ga-hee, director of the Korea Storytelling Institute, said, “The story of Admiral Yi Sun-sin is not just a Korean story, but contains a universal message that reaches everyone around the world. This project is aimed at making Yi Sun-sin known to the world and confronting distorted history head-on. “Here we go,” he emphasized.
We hope that the story of Admiral Yi Sun-sin will correct distorted history and become the voice of a new era that gives hope and inspiration to young people.
A historical story for the world… Meet the young Yi Sun-sin through webtoons
A recent documentary about samurai aired on Netflix has been controversial for distorting the Imjin War and glorifying Japan’s invasion.
This is part of Japan’s ongoing attempt to distort history in animation and popular culture in general, and it makes us reflect on our limitations in not properly informing Korean history.
In response to this situation, the ‘Meet the young Yi Sun-sin through webtoons’ project was launched.
This project will start in 2024 through Daejeon Content Korea Lab’s crowdfunding, and aims to inform the world of Yi Sun-sin’s true greatness.
“It is possible to compare me to Nelson, but it is unbearable to compare me to Yi Sun-sin.” This statement is a quote from Japanese naval hero Togo Heihachiro, and it clearly shows the greatness of Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
Even Sato Destaro, a thinker in the Japanese Navy, praised him, saying, “The general I respect the most is Yi Sun-sin. His personality and genius cannot be compared to Nelson’s.”
However, in Korea, Yi Sun-sin is often remembered only as “the general who built the turtle ship and stopped the Japanese army.” ‘Meeting Young Yi Sun-sin through Webtoon’ focuses on his youth and sheds new light on Yi Sun-sin as a human being before he was a great general.
This project tells the story of Yi Sun-sin, who never lost his dreams despite poverty, failure, and the cold treatment of those around him. Lee Ga-hee, the director of the Korea Storytelling Institute, said, “Webtoons are the best media for young people to project their worries and dreams,” and “Yi Sun-sin’s courage and spirit of challenge will be a message of hope for today’s young people.”
Webtoon artist Park Je-hu expressed his confidence, saying, “It was challenging to interpret history in a modern way, but Yi Sun-sin is a figure with the power to convey a message that transcends the times.”
Webtoons are not limited to domestic readers.
We plan to reach out to multinational readers through collaboration with the K-Talks platform and WIN Media Group in Chicago, USA. K-Talks will cover the webtoon production process and major episodes on its YouTube channel, while WIN Media Group will expand the content to North America through IPTV, radio, and local media.
In addition, goods such as eco-bags, mood lights, mugs, and t-shirts linked to the webtoon will be produced and provided through the crowdfunding platform Tumblbug. These goods go beyond simple products and are used as viral content on SNS and online platforms, helping people easily access Yi Sun-sin’s story in their daily lives.
Daegu Catholic University has a master’s and doctoral program in Yi Sun-sin Studies that studies Yi Sun-sin’s spirit and leadership, showing that his legacy still shines today.
This project, in collaboration with the Yi Sun-sin Studies Institute, focuses on reinterpreting the spirit and leadership of General Yi Sun-sin in a modern way and communicating it with the public.
‘Meeting Young Yi Sun-sin through Webtoon’ is a challenge that goes beyond a simple history project and seeks to establish Yi Sun-sin as a global hero by communicating with the new generation.
The webtoon, consisting of 8 parts (4 epilogues), is based on the content of the publisher ‘Brain to the World’ and is told in the first person to provide readers with a sense of immersion.
This project, through K-Talks, WIN TV, multilingual webtoon production, and collaboration with the Yi Sun-sin Studies Institute, seeks to convey the spirit and values of Yi Sun-sin to readers around the world, encompassing both tradition and modernity.
Lee Ga-hee, the director of the Korea Storytelling Institute, emphasized, “The story of Admiral Yi Sun-sin is not just a Korean story, but contains a universal message that resonates with everyone around the world. This project aims to introduce Admiral Yi Sun-sin to the world and confront distorted history head-on.”
We hope that the story of Admiral Yi Sun-sin will become a voice of a new era that corrects distorted history and gives hope and inspiration to young people.
View original article:Break NewsDaejeonChungcheong
– How can the portrayal of Yi Sun-sin’s youth in webtoons influence contemporary discussions on leadership and heroism?
1. What role does webtoons serve in effectively communicating historical figures like Yi Sun-sin to new generations and audiences from different cultures?
2. How does the webtoon based on Yi Sun-sin’s youth portray his character and personality before his iconic status as a military leader?
3. What challenges did the creative team face in interpreting history through a modern lens for the webtoon project?
4. How important is it to correct distorted historical narratives, particularly when it comes to figures like Yi Sun-sin who have significant cultural and political impact?
5. In what ways does the K-Talks platform and WIN Media Group plan to expand the reach of the webtoon internationally, and what strategies are being used to engage global audiences?
6. How does the production collaboration with the Yi Sun-sin Theological Institute contribute to a deeper understanding of his legacy and values?
7. In your opinion, what makes Admiral Yi Sun-sin a universal figure beyond just his military achievements?
