© Copyright 2019 Emily Marie Anderson Hall
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© Copyright 2019 Emily Marie Anderson Hall Kim Sŏnghwan’s ‘Mr. Kobau’: Editorial Cartoons as Genre Weapons in South Korean Search for Democracy, 1945-1972 Emily Hall A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2019 Reading Committee: Hwasook B. Nam, Chair Clark W. Sorensen Mark Metzler Program Authorized to Offer Degree: History University of Washington Abstract Kim Sŏnghwan’s ‘Mr. Kobau’: Editorial Cartoons as Genre Weapons in South Korean Search for Democracy, 1945-1972 Emily Marie Anderson Hall Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Hwasook Bergquist Nam History This dissertation examines the early life and struggles of Kim Sŏnghwan (b. 1932), until the implementation of Park Chung Hee’s Yusin Constitutional Revision in 1972. On February 1, 1955, Kim Sŏnghwan introduced a four-panel comic, “Mr. Kobau,” in the Tonga ilbo, leading to a profound transformation of South Korean newspaper cartoons. This series became the most popular, longest lasting editorial cartoon in South Korean history, and a potent genre weapon against authoritarianism. Kim Sŏnghwan did not initially pursue cartooning as part of a political agenda. Instead, the political situation of the mid-1950s and the limited freedom of expression in the press created the circumstances for the politicization of his “gag” comic. Recognizing the ambiguous position of cartoons in South Korean newspapers and censorship laws, Kim Sŏnghwan crafted sharp social and political criticism, masked in humor, even when criticism of the government was strictly regulated. In the process, he experienced fines, arrests, and even a minor psychological breakdown, but survived and maintained his critical voice through three dictatorial regimes and South Korea’s democratic transition. This dissertation highlights early influences on Kim Sŏnghwan’s life including his father, who was imprisoned as an anti-Japanese resistance fighter, and Kim Sŏnghwan’s time as a Korean War artist. It examines how and why “Mr. Kobau” was created, and the ways in which the governments of Syngman Rhee (1948-1960) and Park Chung Hee (1961-1979) tried to suppress critical voices through an analysis of the effects of laws, committee oversight, and other regulatory institutions upon editorial cartoons. It illustrates how “Mr. Kobau” was shaped by and shaped key moments in Korean history. In “Mr. Kobau,” Kim Sŏnghwan found ways to highlight contradictions through metaphors that reminded readers of the unfulfilled promises for democracy. Kim Sŏnghwan and like-minded editorial cartoonists provided a consistent and prominent example of the importance of opposition voices in the struggle for democracy and press freedoms. When visible, “Mr. Kobau” became a source of power and courage against authoritarianism; when invisible, it served as a metaphor for the silent masses’ inability to speak under government repression and censorship. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction …...………………………………………………………………………….……..1 0.1 Kim Sŏnghwan: An Introduction .…………………………………………….………...6 0.2 Concepts of Liberal Democracy under Anti-Communist Authoritarianism ….….…....11 0.3 Organization of Study …………………………………………………………….……19 Chapter 1. Revolutionary Fractures and Beginnings (1919-1949) ………………………..…..22 1.1 A Ticking Timebomb: The Assassination Corps ……………………………………...24 1.2 Witness to the Forgotten Empire: Kim Sŏnghwans’s Move to Manchuria …………...37 1.3 Dreams Awakened, Dreams Shattered: Post-Liberation Korea ……………………….47 1.4 Historical Overview of Korean Political Cartoons until 1950 ………………………...56 1.5 The Cry of the Newsboy: Kim Sŏnghwan’s Debut …………………………………...68 1.6 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………….70 Chapter 2. Cartoonists in War: Between Loyalty and Survival (1950-1953) ……………...….73 2.1 Dodging Conscription: Sketches of Life and Death in Occupied Seoul ………………74 2.2 Voluntary Conscription? The North Korean Artists Alliance …………………………84 2.3 The Korean War Artists Association: Conflicts of Loyalty …………………..……….89 2.4 UN Psychological Warfare Branch: Kim Kyut'aek and Propaganda Fliers …………...93 2.5 PWB Flier Production: Kim Sŏnghwan’s War Experience …………………………..102 2.6 Early Genre Weapons: The Propaganda Art School ………………………………….105 2.7 War and Daily Living: The Korean War Artists Association ………………………...108 2.8 Acorn Warrior and the Rise of Children’s Cartoons ………………………………….113 2.9 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………….…120 Chapter 3. Three: Resistance by Design: 'Mr. Kobau' and the Rise of the Editorial Cartoonist (1953-1958) ……………………………………………………………………..…….123 3.1 Mr. Kobau and the Revitalization of the Comics Industry ……………………….…...125 3.2 Mr. Kobau’s Beginnings as a four-panel Newspaper Cartoon ………………………..128 3.3 Kobau's Awakening: The Liminality of 'Mr. Kobau' and the Rise of the Editorial Cartoon …………………………………………………………………………………………131 i 3.4 The Kyŏngmudae Satire Scandal ……………………………………………………..152 3.5 Kim Sŏnghwan and Popular Culture ………………………………………………….157 3.6 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………….162 Appendix 1. Chapter Three Editorial Cartoons .……………………………………….……...167 Chapter 4. “A gun is given to be shot”: The Struggle, Resistance, and Sacrifice for Democracy (1958-1960) ………………………………………………………..………….............175 4.1 Korean Cartoonist Association and Contemporary Cartoonist Association ………….178 4.2 National Security Laws and The Kyŏnghyang sinmun Shutdown …………………...188 4.3 The April 19th Revolution ……………………………………………………………203 4.4 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………214 Appendix 2. Chapter Four Editorial Cartoons .…..…………………………………….……..218 Chapter 5. A Beacon of Hope: Memories and Effects of the April Revolution upon Kim Sŏnghwan and Editorial Cartoons (1960-1961) …………………………...................228 5.1 The Liberalization of Editorial Cartoons in the Second Republic ……………………230 5.2 The Imagery of Student Subjectivity …………………………………………………237 5.3 Incomplete Punishment: Police Trials ………………………………………………..244 5.4 Contentions and Taboo Subjects: Unification with North Korea and Normalization with Japan ………………………………………………………………………………….247 5.5 Beggars and Despondency: Poverty and Suicide …………………………………….256 5.6 The Creation of the “Fake News” and “Chaotic Press” Narrative …………………...263 5.7 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………269 Appendix 3. Chapter Five Editorial Cartoons ………………………………………………..277 Chapter 6. Passing the Dark Shades: Negotiating Critique within Park Chung Hee’s Military Junta (1961-1963) …………………………………………………………………….290 6.1 Park Chung Hee's Military Coup: Political and Creativity Backlash ………………...293 6.2 The Korean Children's Comics Autonomy Society ………………………………….300 6.3 Editorial Cartoon Censorship ………………………………………………………...308 6.4 Press Intimidation …………………………………………………………………….317 ii 6.5 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………329 Appendix 4. Chapter Six Editorial Cartoons …………………………………………………331 Chapter 7. Products of Persuasion: The Fight for Ethics and the Threat of Control (1964-1969) ………………………………………………………………………………………...340 7.1 Media Coverage and Political Cartoons on the Korea-Japan Normalization Treaty ...342 7.2 Martial Law and Censorship …………………………………………………………362 7.3 Clipping the Quills: Press Ethics Commission Act Protests ………………………....365 7.4 Locked in a Bank Vault: A Financial Mark upon the Press ………………………….375 7.5 A Cog in a Machine: Corporate Consolidation of the Cartoon Industry ……………..379 7.6 Korean Comics Ethics Committee ……………………………………………………383 7.7 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………….....391 Appendix 5. Chapter Seven Editorial Cartoons ………………………………………………394 Chapter 8. The Floating Eye and Illusive Dream: The Struggle against Authoritarianism (1967- 1972) ………………………………………………………………………………….406 8.1 Makkolli, Rubber Shoes, and Ghosts: The 1967 Election ……………………………408 8.2 1969 Constitutional Revision …………………………………………………………422 8.3 1971 Presidential Election …………………………………………………………….434 8.4 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………….442 Appendix 6. Chapter Eight Editorial Cartoons ………………………………………….…….446 Epilogue: The Flickering Flame of Democracy (1972-today) …………………………….….457 9.1 Concluding Thoughts ………………………………………………………………....460 9.2 A Flickering Flame of Democracy: April Revolution Revisited ……………………..463 9.3 Under Park Chung Hee, Cartoons Burned …………………………………………....465 9.4 1975 Press Protests and Purges ……………………………………………………….466 9.5 Kim Sŏnghwan’s Biography Continues ……………………………………………....469 Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………………….475 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation was a monumental undertaking involving many helping hands along the way. I would first like to thank my husband, Matthew, who supported me through these many years and always lent words of love and encouragement. I would also like to thank my best friend and “Korean sister,” Hyunjoo Kim, who provided a second family for every trip to Korea since the beginning. At various times we shared homes, food, and much laughter. All words are inadequate to express my gratitude for them. Next, I wish to thank my committee for their wonderful comments, notes, and words of encouragement. I especially wish to note Professor Hwasook Nam, who provided the most academic assistance in this project. She always gave swift feedback for every draft, which was much appreciated. I look forward to further collaborations in the future. Professor Clark Sorensen, the head of the Korean Studies Department, constantly gave helpful guidance and amusing anecdotes to cheer me up. I shall use his advice when turning this work into a book. Professor Mark Metzler, I shall