Author's Note_March 2019 · 8
Author's Note_December 1995 · 9

4 Dictatorship

Episode 29: Origin · 10
Episode 30: The Liberal · 2
Episode 31: The Age of the Son · 56
Episode 32: The Poor Man · 72
Episode 33: Crackdown.
· 91
Episode 34: Art for Art's Sake · 122
Episode 35: Romance · 140

5 Struggle

Episode 36: Under American Influence · 158
Episode 37: A Sense of Discomfort · 183
Episode 38: For the Holiday Sick · 218
Episode 39 Votes · 244
Episode 40: Participation Ceremony · 262
Episode 41: Student Movement · 284
Episode 42: The Void · 316
Episode 43: Blue Darkness · 341

Appendix Oh! Modern History of the Han River · 356
Oh! Han River Chronology · 366

A must-read for intellectuals, highly praised by writer Yoo Si-min in “Knowing Bros 3”!
A masterpiece portrayed with grand, dense drama and delicate realism.

"Oh! Han River" is a masterpiece that meticulously and delicately depicts the grand drama of two generations of painters, Lee Kang-to and his son Seok-ju, set against the backdrop of modern history from the liberation to the June Struggle of 1987, with meticulous realism.

Unlike modern history written from a present-day perspective, this cartoon vividly captures the atmosphere of the 1980s, when the democratization movement was at its peak, and is considered more immersive than any other film or drama.
Heo Young-man's realistic drawings, which create the illusion of eating together, drinking together, and throwing Molotov cocktails, are combined with the weighty story of author Kim Se-young, who has a deep understanding of modern history based on his extensive reading knowledge, to create a dynamic feeling as if drawn with a brush.

Regarding this work, which reversed the government's intention to promote anti-communist consciousness and instead triggered a 'thaw in anti-communist ideology,' author Yoo Si-min paid tribute to it on the TV program "Knowing Bros 3," saying, "Even when there are regulations and oppression, talented artists create works according to their own standards."

From liberation to division, war, and the struggle for dictatorship and democracy, it makes us look back on what we have lived for so fiercely and where we are today.
As the times change, Oh! Han River is a living masterpiece that transcends mere comics, a work that all generations can read together and reflect on modern history.
I wonder how it will be read in 50 years?

It was serialized in the specialized manga magazine "Manga Plaza" for two years from 1987 and published as a single volume in 1988. It was later republished in 1995, but went out of print and was revived in 2019 at the request of readers.
And in 2025, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of liberation, it was republished in a re-covered edition.

He did not give in to the Agency for National Security Planning's request to draw an 'anti-communist cartoon'.
A turbulent modern history depicted with the 'author's spirit'!

"Oh! Han River," a work created by Korea's leading cartoonist Heo Yeong-man and writer Kim Se-young, earned the title of "ideological cartoon" for its story that directly addressed ideological issues such as equality, revolution, overthrowing dictatorship, and independence from foreign powers at a time when the "red complex" was at its peak.

One day in 1985, when democracy protests were continuing, Heo Young-man received a request from the Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP) during the Chun Doo-hwan regime to draw an “anti-communist cartoon.”
After refusing several times, he finally began drawing comics in earnest after making the condition, “Do not interfere in any way until the serialization is finished.”
This work, which began serialization after many twists and turns, was successful in a 'different way' than the Agency for National Security Planning had intended.
It caused such a stir that it became a must-read on college campuses, not only because it featured the North Korean flag, which had been taboo under the military dictatorship, but also because it realistically depicted the democratization process, including scenes of protests and torture.
At the time, when the desire to overthrow dictatorship and achieve democracy was at its peak, university students would read "Oh! Han River" and engage in heated discussions, and it was said that only by memorizing at least one famous line from the comic would they be considered college students.

“Drawing a single line on a piece of paper is like a revolution!”
“At first, the name of the mountain was Independence.
After climbing for a while, I saw that the name had changed to Unification.”

“It’s a good age to despair.
Don't listen to me just because I say it's someone else's business!
“Where is there hope without despair?”

“This isn’t about politics.
I was just making a comparison.
In times like these, a person’s political views can be their very character.”