October 3-6, Held Around Bucheon Hanguk Manhwa Bakmulgwan
The Bucheon International Comics Festival, celebrating its 27th anniversary this year, will be held from the 3rd to the 6th of next month around the Korea Manhwa Museum in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.
On the afternoon of the 10th, at the Gwangil Building in Jung-gu, Seoul, Shin Jong-chul, President of the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency (right), and Jeon Byung-jin, Director of the Manhwa Contents Industry Office, are answering questions at the press conference for the 27th Bucheon International Comics Festival. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The Korea Manhwa Contents Agency and the Bucheon International Comics Festival Organizing Committee held a press briefing on the 10th at Club 806 in Jung-gu, Seoul, introducing the main programs of the Bucheon International Comics Festival.
This year’s festival slogan is "Comics! A Bigger Encounter." Comics are currently expanding into various fields such as movies, dramas, games, and AI. The Bucheon International Comics Festival expressed its ambition to explore comics expanded into games, AI, and more, and to open paths for comics to meet more industries. This intention is also reflected in the official poster featuring the 2024 Bucheon Manhwa Award-winning work, "Jeongnyeon-i." "Jeongnyeon-i" has been praised for "opening a new horizon for female narratives" and is leading a second wave of derivative culture through its adaptations into changgeuk (traditional Korean opera) and drama.
During the festival, diverse programs such as exhibitions, seminars, markets, performances, cosplay, and music festivals will be held. Exhibitions include the "2024 Bucheon Manhwa Award Winners Exhibition" and the "140th Anniversary of Korea-Italy Diplomatic Relations Exhibition." Talks and autograph sessions with popular artists will also take place. Attendees will meet artists such as Seo I-re and Namon of "Jeongnyeon-i," Noh Kyung-mu and Ssoki of "No Reason Not to Get Pregnant," Tanino Liberatore from the Italy comics exhibition, 2sajang of Naver Webtoon’s "Garbage Time," Sini and Gwangwoon of "1 Second," and Pogo (POGO) of "Jakdu."
On the afternoon of the 10th, at the Gwangil Building in Jung-gu, Seoul, Shin Jong-chul, the director of the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, and cosplayers are taking a commemorative photo at the press conference for the 27th Bucheon International Comics Festival.
In particular, various seminars will be held, including the "Webtoon Original Creation Music Festival," which debuted last year, the "Webtoon Seminar" for aspiring webtoon artists, the "AI and Education Seminar" offering insights into changes in university education, and the "Artificial Intelligence and Webtoon Seminar," where experts discuss the current status of webtoon production using AI and related social issues. The popular cosplay event, which has attracted a strong fanbase every year, will also take place.
The revival of the Bucheon International Comics Market, which had been suspended since 2018, is also noteworthy. The "Bucheon International Comics Market" will be held as a convergence fair for comics, video, and digital content. This year, over 70 domestic and international companies will participate in a global business consultation meeting and introduce hidden masterpieces to investors through the "Webtoon Work Pitching Show."
The 27th Bucheon International Comics Festival Poster [Photo provided by the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency]
Shin Jong-chul, president of the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, said, "Global interest in Korean webtoons is at its peak," adding, "Back in 2019, we tried to expand the position of webtoons by riding the Korean Wave, but now webtoons are one of the central pillars of the Korean Wave." He emphasized, "The significance of this festival is to go beyond webtoons, which are breaking into the global market, and to open new markets for published comics as well."
Alongside the popularity of webtoons, the Bucheon International Comics Festival has evolved into a festival enjoyed by all generations. While the main audience used to be people in their 40s visiting with their children, their proportion has recently decreased to 40%, with the 20s and 30s age group increasing. A representative of the Bucheon International Comics Festival Organizing Committee said, "Since the year before last, as the number of niche content increased, hardcore fans began to visit, and the 27-year history is also a reason for the expanded age range," adding, "We believe that children who visited the festival holding their parents' hands have grown up to become the 20s and 30s age group. We aim to make it a sustainable festival for 50 or 100 years."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
