Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education Faces 'North Korea Praise' Controversy Over Webtoon Based on Stories
"Not Appropriate to Support North Korea on Official Account" VS "Just Depicting Children's Daily Lives"
Webtoon posted by Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education on the 26th. Photo by Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education Instagram capture
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education is facing controversy over a webtoon posted on its official social media account that introduces the school life of North Korean children. The post was reportedly deleted within a day.
On the 26th, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education released a webtoon titled "I envy my North Korean friends!" on Instagram. This is part of a serialized corner called "Send your stories and we'll draw them," based on stories that happened at school.
The webtoon consists of 10 panels and depicts an episode where a teacher introduces the school life of North Korean children to second-grade elementary students. During class, the teacher explains the differences between Korean and North Korean schools, mentioning that North Korean students do not have school meals but instead eat packed lunches or go home for meals.
The controversial part involves the children's reactions in the webtoon, where they say things like "I want to go to North Korea" and "I envy North Korea." Some critics argue that it is inappropriate for the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education's official account to post content that could be seen as "praising North Korea."
The webtoon also reportedly includes information that in North Korea, once a homeroom teacher is assigned, they do not change until graduation. The children respond with comments like "Then I really want to go to North Korea," and "Raise your hand if you want to go," which moved the teacher. Additionally, the children look at photos of North Korean students' picnics and sports days, saying, "I envy North Korea! They even get to go on picnics."
On the other hand, some argue that there is nothing wrong with the webtoon. They point out that it was not created to praise North Korea but simply to share the daily lives of teachers and students. Supporters also note that it is natural for children, who have not been able to attend school or go on picnics due to COVID-19, to envy North Korean children’s picnics.
Meanwhile, the official Instagram account operated by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education has about 13,000 followers. The office also serializes several other webtoons, including "Sympathy Toon," "Level 2 Certified Teacher Toon," and "It's Okay to Make Mistakes."
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