Opening remarks

Kim Bo-tong's final protective shield
Seoire Yoniyoni Wedding Invitation Thief
Kim Geum-suk Island
Kim Jeong-yeon's riddle
How to Run in the Heat Wave
Jeong Yeong-rong, get out
Choi Kyung-min's True Education

Author's Note

An unprecedented lineup you've never seen before
A single volume that covers novel human rights issues that will open new horizons!

In the early summer of 2024, a super-luxurious group of cartoonists gathered together.
From Kim Bo-tong, who established himself as a storyteller of our time through the Netflix series 『DP』, to Seo I-re, whose work 『Jeongnyeon』, based on the recently concluded popular drama and winner of the 2024 Bucheon Comics Award, to Kim Geum-sook, the first Korean winner of the Harvey Award, often called the Oscar of the comics world, to Kim Jeong-yeon and Jeong Yeong-rong, who were recognized for both their skills and popularity by winning the 『Our Cartoon of the Day』 award, to Goo Hee, Yoni Yoni, and Choi Kyung-min, who have the absolute support of comics enthusiasts for their unique perspectives and speaking styles, they all readily accepted the special proposal from the National Human Rights Commission of Korea and Changbi.

These people, who crossed the sea, traveled a long way, and came running, leaving aside manuscripts that had to be finished immediately, had different places of residence, temperaments, habits, genres, and styles.
However, in an era when it was difficult to talk about human rights, there was only one desire to depict human rights through comics.
The sharply honed perspectives of these cartoonists, each so fresh and refined, captured human rights issues that defied description, and brought to light the stories of nameless beings in our society.
The novel issues and topics chosen by eight cartoonists after careful consideration and meticulous research are more than enough to broaden and strengthen the horizons of human rights.

In "The Last Shield," Kim Bo-tong adds fantasy narrative elements to expose the reality of workplaces where industrial accidents are rampant.
Even in a world where magic and the Demon King exist, the plight of the protagonists, who cannot avoid disaster and oppression, makes us reflect on the harsh reality of labor in our society.
"The Invitation Thief," a collaboration between Seo I-re and Yoni Yoni, confronts the deeply rooted ideology of the "normal family" head-on through the special wedding invitation news of the "daughter of a rich family," who was the pride of her family.
Kim Geum-suk exquisitely interweaves the dual challenges of regional extinction and hyper-aging society that Korean society faces, and creates a masterpiece, "Island," which contains existential eeriness within its delicate drawings.


In "Mystery," Kim Jeong-yeon presents outstandingly realistic descriptions and sharp lines, raising the issue of "care," a necessity that exists everywhere in our lives but is still not properly named or recognized.
Goohee's "How to Run in a Heat Wave" contrasts the "unusual daily life" that future generations of youth will face in about 10 years, when tropical nights begin to arrive in April, with refreshing illustrations, thereby bringing awareness to the climate crisis.
In "Kkunappa," Jeong Yeong-rong humorously and quickly, yet meticulously, points out the social contradictions and racial discrimination experienced by immigrant youth and their friends through a four-panel comic format.
Choi Kyung-min's "True Education," which marks the end of this book, addresses the controversial question of "Why should we care about the human rights of perpetrators?" through a resonant dialogue, offering a profound discussion on how to connect private sanctions with human rights awareness.

Human rights cartoons planned directly by the National Human Rights Commission
We still need 'gaze'

'Changbi Human Rights Comics' was launched as a meaningful attempt to combine the fun of comics with the beneficial aspects of human rights, as part of a human rights culture content production project initiated by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea to promote human rights awareness.
Changbi's human rights comics, which began with "10-1/1" in 2003, continued with "Saisiot" in 2006, and "Shoulder Comrade" in 2013, are a valuable channel for exposing everyday discrimination, breaking down prejudice, and representing the voices of those in low and dark places. They are also a unique human rights education book that has been consistently loved by readers across generations and has sold a whopping 300,000 copies.

More than 20 years have passed since the first publication of the series, but discrimination still lurks everywhere, trying to erode the human rights that form the foundation of our daily lives and happiness.
On the one hand, there are those who are trying to dissuade us by saying that human rights can't get any better from here and that we have achieved enough, so why not stop here?
That's why we still need 'gaze'.
We must be able to examine with a broad perspective and diverse perspectives whether there are any areas where the sunlight of human rights has not yet reached, or where the fence of human rights is crumbling.

The fourth human rights comic book, created by the National Human Rights Commission, Changbi, and eight cartoonists, is now ready to be released into the world.
Just as human rights in our society have developed slowly over a long period of time, efforts to change the world's atmosphere little by little through comics will continue.
Just as water fills a hole and flows again, I sincerely hope that "Hositamtam" will become a cornerstone that gathers readers' hearts and creates a spirit of hope, and that it will serve as a starting point for an unwavering gaze toward a world of human rights.

Author's Note

Kim Bo-tong, "The Last Shield"

We all work to make a living.
Because that's how society can be maintained.
That is why society must protect workers.
A society that does not view workers as people cannot survive.

Seo I-re, "The Wedding Invitation Thief"

Why are some families deserving of preservation, while others are destined to disappear? I hope everyone can transcend the shallow logic of normal and abnormal, and build families with the people they love.

Yoni Yoni, "Wedding Invitation Thief"

I once believed that comics could change the world.
I'm not sure comics can change the world these days, when the voices of hate are louder than ever.
However, I draw comics because I feel like I can still say, through comics, to the weak who sometimes doubt their very existence, “I am on your side.”

Kim Geum-suk, "Island"

“Don’t grow old,” my mother always tells me.
All life that is born stays in this world for a while and then turns to dust and disappears.
How will I live? How will I grow old? How will I die?

Kim Jeong-yeon, "Mystery"

Where can a society go when everyone's necessary care is entrusted to someone else?
I hope this will contribute even a little to the idea that care is everyone's job.

Goo Hee, "How to Run in a Heat Wave"

I am very concerned about the climate crisis.
As someone in my 30s with a lot of life left, the climate crisis has become a natural prerequisite whenever I envision the future.
'So, what do teenagers think about the climate crisis?' I imagined this and drew this piece.

Jeong Yeong-rong, "Kknappa"

I always love and want to write stories about youth.
When those individuals, anxious and new to everything, come together and share their hearts with each other.
I think that's when the festival begins.
I drew this with the hope that everyone who reads it will participate in this festival.

Choi Kyung-min, "True Education"

During my college years, I happened to see a short cartoon in a friend's studio apartment and it really left an impression on me.
It was a work that made me think, 'That could be possible,' something I had never thought of before.
That work is Choi Gyu-ssi's work included in the Changbi Human Rights Cartoon Series.
This is “Window” by Seok Yeon Sang-ho.

Now, more than a dozen years later, I feel both honored and burdened to be part of the same series.
If someone happens to come across this work, whether it's in a library, at school, or on a friend's bookshelf, and thinks, "That could be possible," then I think this work will have meaning.