Hit manhwa series ‘Misaeng’ drops 15th volume in 4 years

▲ This photo, provided by The Origin, shows the cover page of the 15th volume of 'Misaeng.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean manhwa series “Misaeng,” written and illustrated by Yoon Tae-ho, has published its 15th volume in four years.

The brand-new volume of this manhwa series, which garnered national attention by taking a close look at office life, tells the story of an elite office worker Jang Baek-ki, who was suddenly assigned to the sales team 3.

The webtoon was initially released on Korean-made online portal Daum from 2012 to 2013, then the first volume in print was published in 2012. It was then adapted into a television series of the same name in 2014 starring Yim Si-wan, which was aired on the local cable channel tvN.

Since 2015, cartoonist Yoon serialized season 2 based on his personal experiences and interviews at Dongguk Steel, KOTRA, and Jordan. However, an arm injury suspended him from publishing for three years between 2018 and 2021.

Under such circumstances, the talented cartoonist could not publish sequels to the mega-hit manhwa series for a long time and finally returned with its 15th volume in four years. When asked about his intention for the publication of the 15th volume, the cartoonist answered, “I could not bear to watch the Korean SMEs and their workers, which are at the focal point of the Korean economy, being caricatured in a demeaning way and being consumed as memes,” adding, “I wished to reform and strengthen the image of such SMEs in the second season.”

Yoon, who debuted in 1993 with the manhwa series “Emergency Landing,” has made himself known by publishing an array of mega-hit manhwa series such as “Misaeng,” “Moss,” “Insiders,” and “Incheon Landing Operation.”

In particular, his “Misaeng” won Our Cartoon of the Day from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in 2012, alongside President Award for the Manhwa series at the 2012 Korea Contents Award, This Year’s Manwha Series at the 2013 Korea National Assembly Awards, and Excellent Manhwa Series at the 2017 Media Arts Festival Comic Award.

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)

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