Kim Woo-young, cartoonist behind children's strip 'Ttungttanji', dies at 87
In short
South Korean cartoonist Kim Woo-young (김우영), known for the four-panel children's comic "Ttungttanji (뚱딴지)", died on September 24 at the age of 87, news that became public on October 8. The strip ran 8,556 times in Sonyeon Chosun Ilbo from March 1, 1990 to April 1, 2019.
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Cartoonist Kim Woo-young, known for the four-panel children's comic "Ttungttanji (뚱딴지)", died on September 24 at the age of 87, according to the Korea Cartoonist Association (한국만화가협회) and the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency (한국만화영상진흥원) as cited by Korean outlets. The news became public on October 8. Asia Economy reported that the association announced the death on its website on October 7. The documents do not say where or how he died. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
"Ttungttanji" ran in Sonyeon Chosun Ilbo, now Eorini Chosun Ilbo, from March 1, 1990 to April 1, 2019, for a total of 8,556 installments. It followed the daily life of a mischievous boy with three strands of hair sticking out. Chosun Ilbo and Asia Economy said the strip ended because of his health; Asia Economy reported that he said at the time he had wanted to complete 30 years and pass 10,000 installments. He returned in 2021 with "Doraon Ttungttanji (돌아온 뚱딴지)", which Asia Economy said ran until December 2022 and was produced with his family. Chosun Ilbo put the total number of installments at 8,920. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
The character also appeared in books including "Ttungttanji Manhwa Ilgi" (1993), "Ttungttanji Myeongsimbogam" (1996), "Ttungttanji Dokdo Tambangdae" (1996) and "Ttungttanji Myeongeon Sanchaek" (1997). Chosun Ilbo said Myeongsimbogam sold about 700,000 copies and Manhwa Ilgi about 370,000; Asia Economy put Manhwa Ilgi sales at about 380,000. His last book was "Manhwa Soyoridammun (만화 소요리문답)" in 2013, which Hankook Ilbo described as explaining Christian doctrine. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
Kim was born Kim Hye-gyeong (김혜경) in 1939 in Seoncheon, North Pyongan Province; Kyunghyang Shinmun gives the birthplace as Sincheon. He fled south to Busan as a child and graduated from Donggwang Middle School and Haedong High School. He took his pen name from illustrator Woo Kyung-hee (우경희) and General Choe Yeong and later changed his name legally. He debuted in 1956, as a third-year middle school student, with "Mullebanga (물레방아)". In 1967 he joined the animation department of Tongyang Broadcasting (TBC, 동양방송) and worked on the TV animations "Hwanggeum Bakjwi (황금박쥐)" and "Yogoe Ingan (요괴인간)", which Asia Economy described as Korea-Japan co-productions. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
He received the 4th Gobau Cartoon Award in 2004 and the 25th Saekdonghoe Nunsol Award in 2009, and from 1996 served as the 3rd and 4th president of the Korea Christian Cartoon Mission Association. In a 2019 oral history for the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, he recalled riding the bus to his studio in Gwanghwamun while struggling for ideas, often missing his stop, and said he had several times considered quitting to sell bibim noodles with his wife. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 8 ]
Why it matters
National news agency Yonhap and most major Korean dailies reported the death, describing Kim as a veteran cartoonist whose strip ran for almost 30 years in a children's newspaper. Outlets also recalled his part in early Korean TV animation at TBC in the late 1960s.
Key facts
- Cartoonist Kim Woo-young died on September 24, aged 87; his death became known on October 8. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- His four-panel comic "Ttungttanji" ran in Sonyeon Chosun Ilbo (now Eorini Chosun Ilbo) from March 1, 1990 to April 1, 2019, for 8,556 installments. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 ]
- The strip followed the daily life of a mischievous boy with three strands of hair sticking out. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- Born Kim Hye-gyeong (김혜경) in 1939 in North Pyongan Province, he took a pen name from illustrator Woo Kyung-hee (우경희) and General Choe Yeong and later changed his name legally. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- He debuted in 1956 with the comic "Mullebanga (물레방아)". [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- In 1967 he joined the animation department of Tongyang Broadcasting (TBC) and worked on the TV animations "Hwanggeum Bakjwi (황금박쥐)" and "Yogoe Ingan (요괴인간)". [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- He received the 4th Gobau Cartoon Award in 2004 and the 25th Saekdonghoe Nunsol Award in 2009. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 8 ]
- His last book was "Manhwa Soyoridammun (만화 소요리문답)", published in 2013. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Kim Woo-young died on September 24 at the age of 87. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- "Ttungttanji" ran from March 1, 1990 to April 1, 2019 in Sonyeon Chosun Ilbo, for 8,556 installments. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 ]
- His birth name was Kim Hye-gyeong and he later legally adopted the name Kim Woo-young. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- He joined TBC's animation department in 1967 and worked on "Hwanggeum Bakjwi" and "Yogoe Ingan". [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- He served as the 3rd and 4th president of the Korea Christian Cartoon Mission Association (한국기독만화선교회) from 1996. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- In a 2019 oral history for the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, he described struggling for ideas during the long run of the strip. [ 2 , 3 , 6 ]
Still unclear
- Birthplace: Seoncheon or Sincheon, North Pyongan Province. Kyunghyang Shinmun gives Sincheon; the other outlets give Seoncheon.
- Total number of "Ttungttanji" installments. Most outlets give 8,556 for the 1990-2019 run; Chosun Ilbo says the total reached 8,920 including the 2021-2022 revival.
- Sales of "Ttungttanji Manhwa Ilgi". Chosun Ilbo says about 370,000 copies; Asia Economy says about 380,000.
- Place and cause of death. None of the documents state where or how he died.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Kukmin Ilbo reports, citing the Korea Cartoonist Association, that Kim died on September 24. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap publishes its obituary, citing the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency. [ 2 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports the death with details of the strip's 2021 revival. [ 7 ]
- Asia Economy reports that the Korea Cartoonist Association posted the obituary on its website on October 7. [ 8 ]