South Korean animation, or ''aeni'' (; ko, 애니), has become an industry that produces characters for other countries' companies, exports its creations globally and generates billions of dollars in profits.
Etymology
The word ''aeni'' comes from the English word "animation" as written in
Hangeul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's Revised Romanization of Korean, standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system f ...
, 애니메이션 (aenimeisyeon), similar to
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
アニメーション (animēshon). Just like ''anime'', ''aenimeisyeon'' was shorten to ''aeni''. However, ''aeni'' usually refers to
Japanese animation
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening ...
in colloquial usage, although it can refer to Korean animation or animation in general. To distinguish it from its Japanese counterpart, Korean animation is often called ''hanguk aeni'' ( ko, 한국 애니; lit. Korean animation) or ''guksan aeni'' ( ko, 국산 애니; lit. domestic animation).
A
Sino-Korean term ''manhwa yeonghwa'' ( ko, 만화영화;
Hanja
Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom.
(, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...
: 漫畫映畫), a portmanteau of
manhwa
(; ) is the general Korean language, Korean term for comics and print cartoons. Outside Korea, the term usually refers to South Korea, South Korean comics. is greatly influenced by Japanese Manga comics. Modern Manhwa has extended its rea ...
and the Korean term for movie, is also used as a general term for all animation.
History
The South Korean animation industry was in a period of crisis throughout the 2000s. Depression at the reality of being an industry that the West merely gave factory-type drawing to begin to sink in. This followed the 1990s, a period of explosive growth for the industry when Korean studios made most of their profits from OEM, mostly from the United States, or Japan.
In many ways, 2011 was a bright transitional year for Korean animation, with home-produced animated feature films finally finding box office success in South Korea, instead of facing the usual financial failure. As far as overseas export market is concerned, the likes of
Rough Draft Korea
Rough Draft Studios, Inc. is an American animation production studio based in Glendale, California, with a second studio in Glendale and its sister studio Rough Draft Korea located in Seoul, South Korea. The studio was founded in Van Nuys, Los ...
(RDK) kept on landing new contracts, which have seen Rough Draft perform the manual work on over 45 popular Western cartoon titles over 16 years.
South Korean animation has boomed in popularity in Eastern Asia with the success of the series ''
Pororo the Little Penguin
''Pororo the Little Penguin'' ( ko, 뽀롱뽀롱 뽀로로, Pporongpporong Ppororo) is a South Korean computer-animated television series. The series premiered on EBS 1 in South Korea in 2003 and ran on the channel until 2021. The series had 7 ...
'' and ''
Origami Warriors
''Origami Warriors'' (Taiwanese translation: Origami Fighters, zh, t=摺紙戰士) is a Taiwanese comic book created by Jhou Sian Zong and published by the Ching Win Company. The comic was published in a series of 22 books and followed in 2003 by ...
'' in 2011, leaving fans wanting to discover more Korean animations. This success is due in part to perfecting the Korean animation technique, and financial returns being reinvested into new animated products.
Some Korean animators still blame the booming Korean game industry for draining the animation industry's talent pool, but the box office success of the Korean animated film ''
Leafie'' in 2011 in South Korea is inspiring a new generation.
Animation industry
Animation contracts for Korean animation studios range from collaboration/minor contribution contracts, to most of the work. The South Korean animation industry can be considered dynamic as there are more than a hundred animation studios. While it is mostly firms in South Korea that contract with Western studios, some of the work is reported to be subcontracted to
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
as well.
Korean animation characters in public spaces
![루돌프 타요](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/%EB%A3%A8%EB%8F%8C%ED%94%84_%ED%83%80%EC%9A%94.JPG)
*Larva subway was a subway based on and featured a
Larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
character. It operated from November 2014 until May 2015 on line No. 2. The Seoul government and Metro explained that they wanted to give citizens a chance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the subways opening.
*Tayo buses were organized by the
Seoul Metropolitan Government
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is a local government of Seoul, South Korea. The mayor is elected to a four-year term by the citizens of Seoul and is responsible for the administration of the city government. The Seoul Metropolitan Government d ...
, the Bus Transport Business Association, and the animation company which made
Tayo the Little Bus
''Tayo the Little Bus'' () is a South Korean computer-animated television series created by Iconix Entertainment, Educational Broadcasting System and the Metropolitan Government of Seoul. The show was produced with the help of Seoul mayor Oh Se- ...
for the Public Transportation Day. In 2014, the
Seoul Metropolitan Government
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is a local government of Seoul, South Korea. The mayor is elected to a four-year term by the citizens of Seoul and is responsible for the administration of the city government. The Seoul Metropolitan Government d ...
commissioned buses designed as the characters of Tayo the Little Bus to go around the
Gwanghwamun Square
Gwanghwamun Plaza (, also known as Gwanghwamun Square) is a public open space on Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The plaza was opened on 1 August 2009 by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and is part of the City's plans for environmenta ...
area of the city.
*In 2014, statues of Larva and Pororo the Little Penguin were installed in World Park, which is a square in the
Lotte World II Hotel
The Lotte World II Hotel was a proposed supertall skyscraper to be constructed next to the Lotte World amusement park, shopping and hotel complex in Seoul, South Korea that would have risen to with 123 floors
A floor is the bottom surface ...
. They were well received by citizens and tourist.
Market
In 2010, according to the
Korea Creative Content Agency
The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) is a South Korean government agency which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and is charged with governing cultural content. As part of its partnership the Export-Import Bank ...
, the Korean market share of domestic characters was about 28% and the remaining 72% was for foreign characters, such as those from Japan and USA. In 2012, experts predicted that the total market size would grow to in the near future . In 2014, the domestic character market share soared to 40% and its value in 2013 had reached .
Korean characters as international business
Before the emergence of Korean domestic
character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
s, characters that enjoyed popularity were mostly from the United States and Japan.
However, as the industry matured and grew in size, domestic characters received preference not just domestically but also internationally.
List
TV shows
* Tteodori Kkachi / 떠돌이 까치 (1987)
* Kkachi's Wings / 까치의 날개 (1988)
*
Dooly the Little Dinosaur
''Dooly the Little Dinosaur'' ( ko, 아기공룡 둘리) is a cartoon serialized from 1983 to 1993 by South Korean cartoonist Kim Soo-jung with a little dinosaur as the subject, and it refers to animations and other media mix works based on the ...
/ 아기공룡 둘리 (1987)
* Fairy Land ABC / 동화나라 ABC (1987)
* Hello Kitty / 헬로 키티 (1988)
* Run Hani / 달려라 하니 (1988)
* Taekwon Dongja Maruchi / 태권동자 마루치 (1988)
* Naughty Hani / 천방지축 하니 (1989)
* 2020 Space Wonder Kiddy / 2020 우주의 원더키디 (1989)
* Wizard Boy Mutterl / 머털도사 (1989)
* Once Upon a Time / 옛날 옛적에 (1990)
*
Yeongsimi
''Yeongsimi'' is Korean animated series produced by Bae Geum-taek. The story is about innocent but zany adolescent girl Young-sim's normal life. The original version was a comic book first produced in 1990, and after that it was broadcast on KBS ...
/ 영심이 (1990)
*General of the Earth / 흙꼭두장군 (1991)
* Fly Superboard / 날아라 슈퍼보드 (1991, 1998, 2001)
* Pink the Fairy / 요정 핑크 (1991)
* Penking and Linking / 펭킹 라이킹 (1992)
* Kori, The Son of Wizard / 마법사의 아들 코리 (1993)
* School of Love / 사랑의 학교 (1994)
* Koby Koby / 꼬비꼬비 (1995)
* Dodami and Tori Tori / 도담이와 토리토리 (1995)
* Duchi and Puku / 두치와 뿌꾸 (1996)
* Cute Chocomi / 귀여운 쪼꼬미 (1996)
* Soul Frame Lazenca / 영혼기병 라젠카 (1997)
* The Green Chariot Hamos / 녹색전차 해모수 (1997)
* Bio-Cop Wingo / 바이오캅 윙고 (1998)
* LullaRarra / 룰루라라 (1998)
* Speed King Bungae / 스피드왕 번개 (1998)
*
Black Rubber Shoes
''Black Rubber Shoes'' (Korean romanization: ''Geomjeong Gomusin'') is a Korean animated television show for children. The stories take place in the city of Seoul in the sixties/seventies of the 20th century. The title refers to black ''gomusin'', ...
/ 검정 고무신 (1999, 2001, 2004, 2015)
*
Restol, The Special Rescue Squad
''RESTOL Special Rescue Squad'' ( ko, 레스톨 특수구조대) is a 1999 South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a lan ...
/ 레스톨 특수구조대 (1999)
* Milo's Adventure / 마일로의 대모험 (1999)
* Taekwon King Kang Tae-Pung / 태권왕 강태풍 (2000)
* Track City / 트랙시티 (2000)
* White Heart Beakgu / 하얀마음 백구 (2000)
* Teanggu and Ulasyong / 탱구와 울라숑 (2001)
*
Unimini Pets / 유니미니펫 (2001)
*
BASToF Syndrome / 바스토프 레몬 (2001)
* Gifighter Taerang / 기파이터 태랑 (2001)
* Geisters / 가이스터즈 (2001)
*
Olympus Guardian
''Olympus Guardian'' (hangul: 올림포스 가디언, ''Ollimposeu Gadieon'') is a South Korean animated television series based on "The Greek and Roman Myths in Comics" (a total of 20 volumes) published by Gana Publishing Co., a publishing comp ...
/ 올림포스 가디언 (2002)
*
Magic Kid Masuri
''Magic Kid Ma Soo-ri'' () is a 2002 South Korean television series starring Oh Seung-yoon, Yoon Young-ah, Kim Hee-jung and Han Bo-bae.
A children's drama aired on KBS 2TV from February 2002 to February 2004. It tells the story of the Surine fa ...
/ 매직키드 마수리 (2002)
*
Super Duper Sumos ''Super Duper Sumos'' (Korean: 으랏차차 삼총사) is an animated series co-produced by DIC Entertainment, L.P. and Ameko Entertainment. It was created by Kevin O'Donnell and Vincent Nguyen.
Overview
Three crimefighting sumo wrestlers — the ...
/ 으랏차차 삼총사 (2002)
* The Legend Of Blue / 바다의 전설 장보고 (2002)
* Space Hip-hop Duck / 스페이스 힙합덕 (2002)
*
Spheres
The Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellite (SPHERES) are a series of miniaturized satellites developed by MIT's Space Systems Laboratory for NASA and US Military, to be used as a low-risk, extensible test bed for the ...
/ 스피어즈 (2003)
* Guardian Fairy Michel / 수호요정 미셸 (2003)
*
Tank Knights Fortress
''Tank Knights Fortress'' (Hangul: 포트리스, ''Poteuliseu'' in short or 무한 전기 포트 리스, ''Muhan Jeongi Poteuliseu'' full name) is a Korean-Japanese co-produced animated series by SBS Productions, Dong Woo Animation and Daewon ...
/ 무한 전기 포트 리스 (2003)
* Hey Yo Yorang / 요랑아 요랑아 (2003)
* Woobi Boy / 내 친구 우비소년 (2003)
*
Narong, Fly To The Sky / 뚜루뚜루뚜 나롱이 (2004)
*
Mix Master
''Mix Master'' (; ja, カード王 ミックスマスター) is a South Korea–Japan co-produced anime series based on the massively multiplayer online role-playing game ''Mix Master: King of Cards''. It is a co-production of Nippon Animation ...
/ 카드왕 믹스마스터 (2005)
* Maskman / 마스크맨 (2005)
* Jaedong, Let's Go To School / 재동아 학교가자 (2005)
*
Jang Geum's Dream
''Jang Geum's Dream'' (hangul: 장금이의 꿈, ''Jang Geum ieui Kkum'') is a Korean animation. It is a production by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation. The animation was done by Sonokong and Heewon Entertainment. The animation centers on Jang Ge ...
/ 장금이의 꿈 (2005, 2007)
* Tori GO! GO! / 토리 고! 고! (2006)
* Bug Fighter / 인조곤충 버그파이터 (2006)
* Kungya Kungya / 쿵야쿵야 (2006)
* Apple Candy Girl / 애플캔디 걸 (2006)
*
Pucca
''Pucca'' (; ko, 뿌까 ) is a South Korean media franchise from the South Korean company VOOZ Character System. The main and titular character, Pucca, is the niece of three Korean men who run a Chinese-style restaurant. The restaurant, known as ...
/ 짜장소녀 뿌까 (2006)
* Revbahaf Kingdom Rebuilding Story / 르브바하프 왕국 재건설기 (2007)
* Doyajibong / 도야지봉 (2007)
* Crazy Park / 다오 배찌 붐힐 대소동 (2007)
*
Tai Chi Chasers
''Tai Chi Chasers'' ( ko, 태극천자문, ''Taegeuk Cheonjamun''; ja, 太極千字文, ''Tai Chi Senjimon'', th, ไทชิเชสเซอร์ ''Taichi Chasers'' lit. "1000 Characters of Tai Chi" in Asian territories; also known as '' ...
/ 태극천자문 (2007)
* Petit Petit Muse / 쁘띠쁘띠 뮤즈 (2008)
* NEW
Dooly the Little Dinosaur
''Dooly the Little Dinosaur'' ( ko, 아기공룡 둘리) is a cartoon serialized from 1983 to 1993 by South Korean cartoonist Kim Soo-jung with a little dinosaur as the subject, and it refers to animations and other media mix works based on the ...
/ 뉴 아기공룡 둘리 (2008)
*
Rocket Boy and Toro
''Rocket Boy and Toro'' () is a animated cartoon series that originally aired on CBBC (TV channel), CBBC in 2008 to 2009. The show was set in space and the main characters consisted of Rocket Boy, Chrystella, Vector, Grandpa Sat, and Toro, Rocke ...
/ 로켓보이 (2008)
* Giga Tribe / 기가 트라이브 (2009)
* Greensaver / 그린세이버 (2009)
*
Element Hunters
is a 2009 Japanese-Korean anime series that began airing in Japan and South Korea as a science-fiction adventure to generate more awareness in chemistry and other sciences. The series is set in the year 2089. A manga series began at the same ...
/ 엘리먼트 헌터 (2009)
* Rolling Stars / 롤링 스타즈 (2009)
*
YooHoo & Friends
YooHoo & Friends is a South Korean line of stuffed toys released by Aurora World around July 2006.
History
Inspired by a bush baby, the first of the ''YooHoo & Friends'' toys that were introduced were five and eight-inch plush animals with big ...
/ 유후와 친구들 (2009)
* My Friend Haechi / 내 친구 해치 (2010)
* Bubblegum Cook / 보글보글쿡 (2010)
*
MetaJets
''MetaJets'' is an animated television series produced by Cookie Jar Entertainment and Sunwoo Entertainment.
Broadcast
In Canada, ''MetaJets'' premiered on October 3, 2010 on Teletoon. In South Korea, this show was first aired on KBS1 on January ...
/ 메타제트 (2010)
* Cloud Bread / 구름빵 (2010)
*
Canimals
''Canimals'' (literally can-animals) (, ''kaenimeol''), also known as ''Canimals: We Can Do It!'', is a live-action/CGI animated hybrid television series by Voozclub Co., Ltd. The main characters are Ato, Mimi, Uly, Fizzy, Nia, Oz, Pow, Toki, a ...
/ 캐니멀 (2011)
* The Story of Miho / 미호이야기 (2011)
*
Zoobles!
''Zoobles!'' is a miniature figure toyline created by Spin Master. The toyline is a spin-off of the ''Bakugan'' toyline, meant to appeal to the female demographic. Zoobles! were released in August 2010 in the United States, consisting of a wide v ...
/ 쥬블스 (2011)
*
Ghost Messenger
''Ghost Messenger'' ( ko, 고스트 메신저) is a South Korean aeni made by STUDIO ANIMAL.
First released in 2010, it revolves around a series of events that happen as Little Kanglim (voiced by EunJung), a human boy with extraordinary spiritua ...
/ 고스트 메신저 (2011)
* Art Odyssey / 아트 오디세이 (2011)
* Eori / 어리이야기 (2011)
*
Cheap Cheonllima Mart / 쌉니다 천리마마트 (2011)
*
Hello Jadoo / 안녕 자두야 (2011)
* Welcome to Convenience Store / 와라 편의점 (2012)
*
Paboo & Mojies
''Paboo & Mojies'' (Hangul: , , Katakana: , ) is a 2012 Korean-Japanese anime series produced by We've and Dong Woo Animation, based on the toys and franchise of the same name created by Daewon Media of South Korea and Sega Sammy Holdings of Ja ...
/ 빠뿌야 놀자 (2012)
* NEW Wizard Boy Mutterl / 신 머털도사 (2012)
*
Vary Peri
''Vary Peri'' (), also called ''Sweets Fairy'' or ''Magical Wizard Cake Fairy'' is a 2012 Korean-Chinese Cel Shaded 3D Animated series based on character created by InfinityOne Comics Entertainment, animated by Alpha Group Company in China & C ...
/ 바리 페리 (2012)
* Mask Master / 마스쿨랜드 (2013)
* School Land / 스쿨랜드 (2013)
* Bellbug Popo / 벨버그 포포 (2013)
* Don't Let Go of the Mental Rope / 놓지마 정신줄 (2014)
* Towards Astar Chagu Chagu / 아스타를 향해 차구차구 (2014)
* Hello Carbot / 헬로 카봇 (2014)
* Miniforce / 미니특공대 (2014)
* Shinbi's Haunted House / 신비아파트 (2014) (
CJ ENM
CJ ENM (, CJ Entertainment aNd Merchandising) is a South Korean entertainment and retail company founded in 2018.
CJ ENM was established as a result of the merger of two CJ Group subsidiaries, CJ E&M and CJ O Shopping respectively, in July 201 ...
,
Tooniverse
Tooniverse (; portmanteau short for ''Cartoon Universe'') is a cartoon and anime channel broadcast by CJ ENM E&M Division (formerly On-Media), in South Korea.
Tooniverse commenced airing in December 1995 and is currently one of the leading anima ...
)
*
Turning Mecard
Turning Mecard (, a transliteration), released as Mecard in the United States, is a South Korean toyline and media franchise launched in 2014, developed for toy company Sonokong by Choirock (Sonokong's multimedia production arm). The toyline invo ...
/ 터닝메카드 (2015)
* DinoCore / 다이노코어 (2016)
* Papadog / 파파독 (2016)
* Flowering Heart / 플라워링 하트 (2016)
* Shining Star / 샤이닝스타 (2017)
* Banzi's Secret Diary / 반지의 비밀일기 (2017)
* Dinosaur Mecard / 공룡메카드 (2017)
*
Running Man / 런닝맨 (2017, 2019)
* AEROVER / 에어로버 (2018)
* Pasha Mecard / 빠샤메카드 (2018)
*
Mashimaro
Mashimaro (마시마로) or Yeopki Tokki (엽기토끼 "bizarre rabbit") in Korean and 流氓兔 ("hoodlum rabbit") in Chinese is a South Korean fictional character who resembles a fat rabbit, created by Kim Jae In (김재인). He debuted in a se ...
/ 마시마로 (2018)
* Semi in the Magic Cube / 세미와 매직큐브 (2018)
* Hero Circle / 히어로 써클 (2020)
* Maca & Roni / 마카앤로니 (2021)
* Dalja, The Vampire Girl / 뱀파이어소녀 달자 (2021)
* Battle Marvelians (Pilot) / 배틀 마블리언즈 (2021)
* After School Treasure Hunt (Pilot) / 방과후 트레저헌팅 (2021)
* My Daughter is a Zombie / 좀비딸 (2022)
* Toemarok / 퇴마록 (2022)
* Codename X / 코드네임 X (2022)
* Battle Marvelians (Series) / 배틀 마블리언즈 (2022)
*
Lookism
Lookism is the discriminatory treatment of people who are considered physically unattractive. It occurs in a variety of settings, including dating, social environments, and workplaces. Lookism has received less cultural attention than other for ...
/ 외모지상주의 (2022) (Naver,
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
, Studio Mir)
* Cubistar / 큐비스타 (202?)
3D TV shows
*
Pororo the Little Penguin
''Pororo the Little Penguin'' ( ko, 뽀롱뽀롱 뽀로로, Pporongpporong Ppororo) is a South Korean computer-animated television series. The series premiered on EBS 1 in South Korea in 2003 and ran on the channel until 2021. The series had 7 ...
/ 뽀롱뽀롱 뽀로로 (2003)
*
Iron kid
''Eon Kid'' () is the English title of the CGI animated television series produced by Daewon C.I. and Design Storm in South Korea and BRB Internacional and Televisión Española in Spain.
While the series is known as ''Iron Kid'' in South Kor ...
/ 아이언키드 (2006)
*
Little Wizard Tao
''Little Wizard Tao'' is a children's adventure fantasy animated television series co-produced by South Korean G&G Entertainment and Chinese animation studio Motion Magic Digital Studios. The series was originally aired on KBS2 and later distribu ...
/ 꼬마신선 타오 (2009)
*
Tobot
''Tobot'' (Korean: 변신자동차 또봇, RR: ''Byeonsinjadongcha Ttobot'') is a South Korean animated television series produced by Young Toys and Retrobot. The series features transforming cars — some of which are designed after Kia vehicl ...
/ 변신 자동차 또봇 (2010)
*
Tayo the Little Bus
''Tayo the Little Bus'' () is a South Korean computer-animated television series created by Iconix Entertainment, Educational Broadcasting System and the Metropolitan Government of Seoul. The show was produced with the help of Seoul mayor Oh Se- ...
/ 꼬마버스 타요 (2010)
*
Larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
/ 라바 (2011)
* Capsule Boy - Protect the Universe / 캡슐보이 - 우주를 지켜라 (2016)
* SofyRuby / 소피루비 (2016)
Web animations
*
Pucca
''Pucca'' (; ko, 뿌까 ) is a South Korean media franchise from the South Korean company VOOZ Character System. The main and titular character, Pucca, is the niece of three Korean men who run a Chinese-style restaurant. The restaurant, known as ...
web animated series (2000)
* Clover 4/3 / 클로버 4/3 (2000)
*
There She Is!!
''There She Is!!'' (Korean: 떳다 그녀!!) (also known as ''Tteot-ta geu-nyeo'' or ''Tteotta'' or ''Ddautta'') is a South Korean Flash cartoon series produced by a three-person team and hosted on the Korean website SamBakZa. The cartoons becam ...
/ 떳다 그녀!! (2003-2008)
* Welcome to Convenience Store the Animation / 와라 편의점 the animation (2009) (
Naver
Naver (Hangul: 네이버) is a South Korean online platform operated by the Naver Corporation. It was launched in 1999 as the first web portal in South Korea to develop and use its own search engine. It was also the world's first operator to in ...
)
*Shining Modern History / 발광하는 현대사 (2014) (
Kakao
Kakao ( ko, 카카오) is a South Korean internet company that was established in 2010. It formed as a result of a merger between Daum (web portal), Daum Communications and the original Kakao Inc. In 2014, the company was renamed Daum Kakao. Th ...
)
* Lee Daero Are you alright? / 이대로 괜찮은 걸까? (2016)
*
Elsword: El Lady / 엘소드: 엘의 여인 (2016)
*
Noblesse: Awakening / 노블레스: Awakening (2016)
*
Closers: SIDE BLACKLAMBS / 클로저스 (2016)
* Hyperventilation / 과호흡 (2017) - The first Korean
BL web animated series
* A day before us / 연애하루전 (2018) (Naver)
* Unbelievable Space Love / 언빌리버블 스페이스 러브 (2018)
*
The Sound of Heart
''The Sound of Your Heart'' (; also known as ''The Sound of Your heart'', ''Sound of Heart'') is a South Korean webtoon series written and illustrated by Jo Seok. The webtoon was first released on the Naver WEBTOON internet portal in 2006. In 2007 ...
/ 마음의 소리 (2018) (Naver)
* Tales of the Unusual / 기기괴괴 (2019) (Naver)
* Bagel Girl / 어느 날 잠에서 깨어보니 베이글녀가 되어 있었다 (2019) (Laftel)
* PSYCHO NYANYA / 사소한 냐냐 (2019) (Naver)
* Super Secret / 슈퍼 시크릿 (2020) (Laftel, Studio Shelter)
* Mignon / 민용 (2021)
* Semantic Error Special / 시맨틱 에러 스페셜 (2021) (Laftel)
*The Summer / 그 여름 (2021) (Laftel, Red Dog Culture House) - Based on a queer novel of the same name
*3737 (2021) (
Lezhin Comics)
*
The Haunted House Special / 신비아파트 특별판: 빛의 뱀파이어와 어둠의 아이 (2021) (
TVING
TVING () is a South Korean online streaming service operated by TVING Corporation, a joint venture of CJ E&M (CJ Group), Naver and JTBC. It is a platform that streams dramas, entertainment shows, exclusive television films and specials.
Histor ...
)
*Nano List / 나노리스트 (2022) (Naver)
*House Keeper / 하우스키퍼 (2022) (Naver)
*
Tale of the Nine Tailed
''Tale of the Nine Tailed'' () is a 2020 South Korean television drama starring Lee Dong-wook, Jo Bo-ah, and Kim Bum. It aired on tvN from October 7 to December 3, 2020, every Wednesday and Thursday at 22:30 ( KST) with 16 episodes.
On Novembe ...
/ 구미호뎐 (202?) (TVING) Based on a drama of the same name
*
True Beauty / 여신강림 (2022–2023) (Naver, Cocktail Media)
*Island / 아일랜드 (202?) (Naver, Netflix)
*The Girl Downstairs / 이두나! (2023) (Naver,
Bilibili
Bilibili (stylized bilibili), nicknamed B Site, is a video sharing website based in Shanghai where users can submit, view and add overlaid commentary on videos. Since the mid-2010s, Bilibili began to expand to a broader audience from its origi ...
, Red Dog Culture House) - A Korean-Chinese animated series based on the webtoon of the same name
*Futuristic Antique Shop / 미래의 골동품 가게 (202?) (Naver)
*Seasons of Blossom / 청춘블라썸 (2023) (Naver)
*The Boxer / 더 복서 (202?) (Naver)
*The Moon that Rises in the Day / 낮에 뜨는 달 (202?) (Naver)
Direct-to-video and web series
* Dooly's Backpacking / 둘리의 배낭여행 (1995)
*Noodle-Nude / 누들누드 (1998)
*
Noblesse
The concept of the Scottish Noblesse, a class of nobles of either peerage or non-peerage rank, was prominently advocated for by Sir Thomas Innes of Learney during his tenure as an officer of arms. Innes of Learney believed that Scottish armigers ...
OVA / 노블레스 OVA: 파멸의 시작 (2015) (Naver, Studio Animal)
Movies
* A Story of Hong Gil Dong / 풍운아 홍길동 (1967)
* Hopy and Chadol Bawi / 호피와 차돌바위 (1967)
* Heungbu and Nolbu / 흥부와 놀부 (1967)
* Hwanggeum Cheolin / 황금철인 (1968)
*
Sonokong
Sonokong Co, Ltd. (hangul: 손오공주식회사) is a Korean toy/ game entertainment company. It was established in 1974. The corporate headquarters are located in Sugung-dong Guro-gu Seoul, Korea. The technical license of the company is owned by ...
/ 손오공 (1968)
* Black Star and Golden Bat / 검은 별과 황금박쥐 (1968)
* General Hong Gil Dong / 홍길동 장군 (1969)
* Treasure Island / 보물섬 (1969)
* Taekwon Dongja Maruchi and Arachi / 태권동자 마루치 아라치 (1976)
*
Robot Taekwon V / 로보트 태권브이 (1976)
*General Ttoli / 똘이장군 (1978) - South Korea's first
anti-communist
Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...
animated film. Since this animated film became popular with Korean children, numerous anti-communist animated films have been produced in South Korea. However, the film is also criticized for its explicit portrayal of violence and political messages.
* Adventure of Headol / 해돌이 대모험 (1982)
* My Name is Dokgo Tak / 내 이름은 독고탁 (1984)
*
My Beautiful Girl, Mari
''My Beautiful Girl, Mari'' (; lit. "The Story of Mari") is a 2002 South Korean animated film. It follows the story of a young boy during summer vacation and ascends into flights of surrealistic fantasy, which may or may not be dream sequences. Th ...
/ 마리이야기 (2002)
*
Aachi & Ssipak
''Aachi & Ssipak'' is a 2006 South Korean adult animated comic science fiction action film directed by Jo Beom-jin and features the voices of Ryoo Seung-bum, Im Chang-jung, and Hyun Young.
Plot
Somewhere in the future, mankind has depleted all en ...
/ 아치와 씨팍 (2006)
*
Yobi, The Five-Tailed Fox / 천년여우 여우비 (2007)
*
The King of Pigs
''The King of Pigs'' () is a 2011 South Korean adult animated psychological drama thriller film directed by Yeon Sang-ho. It was Sang-ho's debut film, and was based on many of his former experiences in high school. The film was selected to be sc ...
/ 돼지의 왕 (2011)
*
Leafie, A Hen into the Wild
''Leafie, A Hen into the Wild'' (), also called ''Daisy, A Hen into the Wild'' in English-speaking countries, is a 2011 South Korean animated drama film which depicts the freedom, will and instinctive motherly love of a chicken, hen as she raises a ...
/ 마당을 나온 암탉 (2011)
* Green Days (2012)
*
Swimming to Sea
''Swimming to Sea'' () is a 2012 South Korean adult computer-animated musical drama film written and directed by Dae-Hee Lee. It stars Hyen-jee Kim, Young-jun Si, Young-mi Ahn, Kyeng-soo Hyen and Ho-san Lee. It premiered at the 2012 Jeonju Inter ...
/ 파닥파닥 (2012)
*The Satellite Girl and Milk Cow / 우리별 일호와 얼룩소 (2014)
*Timing / 타이밍 (2015)
*Lost in the Moonlight / 달빛궁궐 (2016)
*
Seoul Station
Seoul Station is a major railway station in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The station is served by the Korail Intercity Lines and the commuter trains of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway.
Services
KTX
Seoul Station is the terminus of most ...
/ 서울역 (2016)
*
The Haunted House: The Secret of the Cave / 신비아파트: 금빛 도깨비와 비밀의 동굴 (2018)
*
Underdog
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the ...
/ 언더독 (2018)
*Bad Boss / 나쁜 상사 (2018)
* The Haunted House: The Sky Goblin VS Jormungandr / 극장판 신비아파트: 하늘도깨비 대 요르문간드 (2019)
* Beauty Water / 기기괴괴 - 성형수 (2020)
*Your Letter / 연의 편지 (2022) (Naver, LICO)
*Stress Zero / 스트레스 제로 (2020)
*Yumi's Cells / 유미의 세포들 (2023) (Naver, SIDUS)
See also
*
North Korean animation
*
Anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
*
Cinema of Korea
The term "Cinema of Korea" (or "Korean cinema") encompasses the motion picture industries of North and South Korea. As with all aspects of Korean life during the past century, the film industry has often been at the mercy of political events, ...
*
donghua
*
Manhwa
(; ) is the general Korean language, Korean term for comics and print cartoons. Outside Korea, the term usually refers to South Korea, South Korean comics. is greatly influenced by Japanese Manga comics. Modern Manhwa has extended its rea ...
*
Taiwanese animation
Taiwanese animation or Taiwanese donghua can be traced back to 1954's black-and-white animation ''Wu Song Fights the Tiger'' (武松打虎) by the Kuei Brothers but the earliest surviving is '' The Race Between Turtle and Rabbit'' (龜兔賽跑 ...
*
Video gaming in South Korea
In South Korea, video games are considered to be a major social activity, with most of the games being cooperative or competitive. Locally developed role-playing, first-person shooter, MMORPG and mobile games have proven to be very popular in ...
*
Webtoon
Webtoons (), are a type of digital comic that originated in South Korea usually meant to be read on smartphones.
While webtoons were mostly unknown outside of Korea during their inception, there has been a surge in popularity internationally ...
References
External links
History of Korean animation(in Japanese, with images & video clip)
Korean animated movie posters
{{DEFAULTSORT:South Korean Animation
Korean animation