'Ddungdanji' Cartoonist Kim Wooyoung Dies; Serialized 8,556 Episodes Over 30 Years

Serialized in the Boys' Chosun Daily since 1990
Died on the 24th of last month at age 87

Veteran cartoonist Kim Wooyoung (formerly Kim Hyegyeong), who was beloved by readers for many years for his comic "Ttungttanji," has reportedly passed away, with news of his death emerging belatedly.

Cartoonist Kim Wooyoung, creator of the comic "Ttungttanji." Courtesy of the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency.

According to the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency and other sources, he passed away on September 24. He was 87.

Born in 1939 in Seoncheon, North Pyongan Province, he fled to Busan as a child and graduated from Donggwang Middle School and Haedong High School. He made his debut in the comics industry in 1956, when he was in his third year of middle school, with the comic "Mullebanga."

His birth name was Kim Hyegyeong, but he adopted the pen name "Kim Wooyoung," taking one character each from the name of illustrator Woo Gyeong-hui, whom he had long admired, and that of General Choe Yeong. He later changed his legal name to Kim Wooyoung as well.

During his career as a cartoonist, he successively released works including "Seoreumgil Gumanri" (1957), "Byeokjeui Byeol" (1958), and "Uleora Joguk" (1959). In 1967, he joined the children's programming division of Tongyang Broadcasting Company (TBC) as part of its seventh cohort. The following year, he also took part in producing the TV animated series "Golden Bat" and "Yokai Ningen."

Comic Ttungttanji. Publisher: Daekyo Publishing.

The work that brought him to prominence was the four-panel comic "Ttungttanji," which ran in Boys Chosun Ilbo (now Children's Chosun Ilbo) for nearly 30 years, from March 1, 1990, to April 1, 2019. The comic humorously portrayed the daily life of Ttungttanji, a mischievous boy with three stray hairs sticking out from his head. It remained popular for many years and ran for a total of 8,556 installments.

He went on to publish numerous titles in the "Ttungttanji" series, including "Ttungttanji Comic Diary" (1993), "Ttungttanji's Book of Wise Sayings" (1996), "Ttungttanji's Dokdo Expedition Team" (1996), and "A Stroll Through Ttungttanji's Famous Sayings" (1997). "The Shorter Catechism in Comics," published in 2013, was his final book during his lifetime.

He was close to fellow cartoonists, including Kang Cheolsu and Lee Dooho. He also received awards including the 4th Gobau Cartoon Award (2004) and the 25th Saekdonghoe Nunsol Award (2009). In 1996, he served as the third and fourth chairperson of the Korea Christian Cartoon Mission Association.

In an oral history interview with the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency in 2019, he candidly described the difficulties he faced during his nearly 30-year serial run: "On my way to the studio in Gwanghwamun by bus, I would struggle because no ideas came to me, and I would often miss my stop and get off at Jongno 2-ga or 3-ga, then make my way back."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.