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Manhwa (; ) is the general Korean language term for comics and print . Outside Korea, the term usually refers to comics.
Modern Manhwa has extended its reach to many other countries. These comics have branched outside of Korea by access to and have created an impact that has resulted in some movie, drama and television show adaptations.
Manhwa art differs from manga and manhua as well with its distinct features. The bodies of characters are often realistically proportioned, while the faces remain unrealistic. Manhwas also often have very detailed clothing on their characters as well as intricate backgrounds. Webtoons use vertical scrolling to their advantage to demonstrate movement or the passage of time. Manhwa webtoons are also recognized for having simplified dialogue compared to print.
Originally the term manhua in Chinese vocabulary was an 18th-century term used in Chinese literati painting. The term manga (漫画) was used in Japan to mean "comics" in the late 19th century, when it became popular. Since then, manhua (漫画) and manhwa () have also come to mean 'comics' in Chinese language and Korean language respectively.
Although in a traditional sense, the terms manga/manhua/manhwa had a similar meaning of comical drawing broadly, in English the terms manhwa and manhua generally designate the manga-inspired comic strips. Manhwaga were not culturally isolated, and the influx of manga into the Korean comics market had a strong effect on the art and content of many artists' manhwa.Sugiyama, Rika. Comic Artists—Asia: Manga, Manhwa, Manhua. New York: Harper, 2004. Introduces the work of comics artists in Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong through artist profiles and interviews that provide insight into their processes.
Political cartoon slowly reemerged following the establishment of the Republic of Korea (commonly known as South Korea) in 1948. Popular artist Kim Yong-hwan started Korea's first comic magazine, Manhwa Haengjin, in 1948, but it was quickly shut down because the authorities disapproved of the cover.
During the Korean war, Manhwa was used with the aim of boosting the morale of the public, however there was also doctrine and propaganda on some manhwa leaflets and books, for example was "Hong Gil Dong". The popularity of comics rose during the 1950s and 1960s, creating diversity of styles and subject matter which led to the construction of new genres such as sunjeong (or soonjung), stories containing romance that are aimed at young women. Also around this time another more humorous genre, myeongnyang or happy comics had become popular in order to counteract gritty ones. Manhwabang (lit. comics room), Manga cafe and stores that allowed readers to pay a set rate to sit and read comics were also introduced to the public, creating a positive atmosphere around the comics. In response to the increasing publication of comics, as well as social and political changes within South Korea, the government began to enforce censorship laws and, by the mid-1960s, created a comics distribution monopoly that further censored manhwa. Then the changing courses of manhwa history occurred during times of Manhwa Revolution when the authorities formed many commissions many times who oversees manhwa publications as well as community movements in order to suppress manhwa fanaticism among childrens and in order to address parents' concerns. Around this time was when Manhwa had come up in North Korea as well.
The term "Webtoon" () is a portmanteau of the Korean words 웹 meaning web and 카툰 meaning cartoon. The term was first coined on 8 August 2000, by Chollian, one of South Korea's oldest and now discontinued internet service engines. Webtoons are the digital form of manhwa that first came into popularity in the early 2000s due to their free access and availability on the internet. It was also beneficial to creators because it helped them get around strict South Korean censorship laws. Webtoons encourage amateur writers to publish their own stories for others to read. Since their creation, webtoons have gained popularity around the globe and have even been adopted outside of Korea as another form of comic publication. This is credited to their unique format and pay model.
In 2014 WEBTOON's global website and mobile app were launched, revolutionizing the comic world's way of reading for entertainment. Also, around this time JunKoo Kim, the person that started LINE Webtoon, had reported that Webtoon was used in 60 countries, had 55 million monthly users, and 100 billion annual views.
But despite that, the relative obscurity of Korean culture in the Western world has caused the word manhwa to remain somewhat unknown in the English-speaking countries. English translations of manhwa have achieved success by targeting the manga and anime community, to the extent that manhwa were marketed as manga by the American publisher Tokyopop.
According to journalist Paul Gravett, in 1987 Eastern Comics published the first original manhwas in the United States.Paul Gravett. Make Mine Manhwa!: Exporting Korean Comics
Due to the explosion of manga's popularity in the Americas, many of the licensed titles acquired for the American market seek to emulate the popular elements of other successful series. Recently, long-running webtoons serialized via web portal (e.g. by Daum Media), like Lezhin Comics and personal homepages have become both the creative and popular destination among the younger generation in Korea. With manga proving to be both popular and commercially successful in Europe and the United States, a number of publishers imported and translated manhwa titles in the hope of reaching the same audience. The readability and left-to-right orientation of manhwa contributed to its growing popularity, as did the realism of the characters and the combination of Eastern and Western styles and mythologies.
| Meongteong-guli Heotmulkyeogi () | Lee Sang-hyeop and Ahn Jae-hong and Noh Soo-hyun | Film | 1926 | ||
| Gobau () | Kim Seonghwan | Film | 1958 | ||
| Walsun Ajimae () | Jeong Woon-kyung | Film | 1963 | ||
| Geokkuligungwa Jangdaligun () | Kim Seonghwan | Film | 1977 | ||
| Bridal Mask () | Huh Young-man | Film | 1978 | ||
| Animated film | 1986 | ||||
| Bridal Mask | 30 May 2012 | Bridal Mask SPC Pan Entertainment KBS N | |||
| Space Black Knight () | Huh Young-man | Animated film | 1979 | ||
| Alien Baseball Team () | Lee Hyun-se | Film | 2 August 1986 | ||
| The Last Station () | Huh Young-man | TV series | 14 September 1987 | Broadcast on MBC | |
| Dooly the Little Dinosaur () | Kim Soo-jung | Animation | 7 October 1987 – 1989 | Daewon Media Broadcast on KBS | |
| OVA | 1995 | Tooniverse | |||
| Animated film | 24 July 1996 | Dooly Nara (Dooly Nation), Seoul Movie | |||
| Animation | 8 January 2009 | Broadcast on SBS, Tooniverse | |||
| The Chameleon's Poem () | Huh Young-man | TV series | 14 May 1988 | ||
| Yeongsimi () Young-sim () | Bae Geum-taek | Film | 29 July 1990 | ||
| Animation | 5 October 1990 | Daewon Media Broadcast on KBS | |||
| TV series | 15 May 2023 | The Great Show, MODT Studio Broadcast on ENA | |||
| Mr. Sohn () Fly! Superboard () | Huh Young-man | Animation | 15 August 1990, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2001 | Hanho Heung-Up Co., Ltd. Broadcast on KBS1 | |
| Asphalt Man () | Huh Young-man | Asphalt Man | 17 May 1995 | Broadcast on SBS | |
| 48+1 | Huh Young-man | Film | 4 November 1995 | ||
| Beat () | Huh Young-man | Film | 3 May 1997 | ||
| Mr. Q (미스터 Q) | Huh Young-man | TV series | 20 May 1998 | Broadcast on SBS | |
| Nudlnude () | Yang Young-soon | OVA | October 1998, 1999 | Seoul Movie | |
| We Saw the Bird Lost in the Middle of the Road () | Hwang Mi-na | TV series | 19 April 1999 | Broadcast on KBS2 | |
| Blade of the Phantom Master () | Youn In-wan and Yang Kyung-il | Animated film | 4 December 2004 | Oriental Light and Magic and Character Plan | |
| Full House () | Won Soo-yeon | TV series | 14 July 2004 | Kim Jong-hak Production | |
| Hammerboy () | Huh Young-man | Animated film | 6 August 2004 | ||
| Goong ("Palace" or "Princess Hours") () | Park So-hee | Princess Hours | 11 January 2006 | Eight Peaks | |
| Tajja () | Kim Se-yeong and Huh Young-man | 28 September 2006 | Sidus Pictures | ||
| TV series | 16 September 2008 | Olive9 and Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts | |||
| War of Money () | Park In-kwon | TV series | 16 May 2007 | Victory Contents Broadcast on SBS | |
| TV series | 7 March 2008 | Broadcast on tvN | |||
| TV series | 6 January 2015 | Kansai Television Co. Ltd. | |||
| Sikgaek Le Grand Chef Gourmet () | Huh Young-man | Film | 1 November 2007 | ShowEast Co Ltd | |
| TV series | 17 June 2008 | Broadcast on SBS | |||
| 28 January 2010 | IROOM Pictures | ||||
| Saranghae () | Huh Young-man | TV series | 7 April 2008 | Broadcast on SBS | |
| Priest () | Hyung Min-woo | Film | 13 May 2011 | Screen Gems | |
| The 7th Team () Mr. Go () | Huh Young-man | Film | 17 July 2013 (South Korea) 18 July 2013 (China) | Showbox/Mediaplex (South Korea) Huayi Brothers (China) | |
| Would You Like a Cup of Coffee? () | Huh Young-man | Web series | 24 October 2021 | Broadcast on KakaoTV | |
| Acacia () | Kim Dong-hwa, Han Seung-won | Webtoon | 12 May 2023 | ||
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