THE web toon have now become a category within the vast comic panorama, and have become particularly established in South Korea. Although they may seem like a minor art form compared to manga, manhwa, or comics, there is commitment and sacrifice behind the creation of webtoons, which often poorly paid, according to one report.
On January 5, 2023, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration of Korea published a survey involving 320 webtoon artists, which revealed some rather worrying results. The authors of these digital comics suffer from the unbearable workload for a single person depression, anxiety and insomnia. All factors that lead to a weakening of the immune system and thus to a deterioration in health over the long term.
It is more precise from the survey that 28.7% of webtoon creators have suffered from depression, a worrying figure compared to 7.7% for the nation as a whole. Even though authors react differently to readers’ opinions, they can experience trouble sleeping and anxiety when confronted with negative comments. The posture taken too many hours a day also contributes to the worsening of the authors’ state of health, which can also lead to muscle diseases.
A much more worrying fact is related to that Percent of those involved who have considered suicide among the perpetrators involved. The result is 17.3% above the national value of 10.7%. Commitment and dedication repaid with a minimum of 500,000 won, about 370 euros at current exchange rates, and a maximum of 1 million won, insufficient numbers for those who average works 10 ½ hours a day for 6 days. In order to somehow respond to these poor working conditions, several associations have been formed, such as the Webtoon Writers Union, whose secretary-general, Ha Shin-ah, said: “It is important to institutionally guarantee artists the right to rest and a healthy life“.
We await your thoughts on this in the comments section. Finally, let’s remember that 2022 has seen a huge loss in the webtoon industrywith the death of Seong-Rak Jang or DUBU, designer of the famous Solo Leveling and we leave you the last illustration of the anime that arrives throughout 2023.
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