<Second Brain>
Have you ever had a smile on your lips while reading a webtoon?
A few short webtoons full of wit make you nod your head and slap your knees.
The stories of office workers that everyone has experienced in their social life, especially the episodes of sadness and frustration that I felt when I was a new employee, often evoke infinite sympathy.
I thought I was the only one, but it turns out that when I find out that other people are experiencing the same situation and sharing the same emotions, the laughter often doubles.
< Singing the emotions of the Korean people >
There is a lot of talk that conversations at work have decreased due to the corona virus, and communication between seniors and juniors has become more difficult.
There seems to be a difference in likes and dislikes about the disappearance of the drinking party culture ^^ How about you?
Are you happy with your work life?
In addition, the restrictions on corporate life, which have been hard due to the corona virus, have increased.
Conversely, meetings, which were sometimes postponed or canceled due to time and space limitations, became possible with the advent of video conferencing represented by Zoom.
This is a case where a new culture that transcends time and space has become commonplace more quickly due to Corona.
As such, the workplace, the basis of life, is constantly evolving.
But there are some things that don't change.
Each company has its own characters and cultures, but strangely, there are overlapping characters.
There is a webtoon that draws a lot of sympathy by catching the daily subject matter of such a company well, and that is
<Employee Yoon's Taepyeongcheonha>
, which stands for 'everyday life comics for office workers'
.
< prison sentence >
'Yoon Ji-won', the main character in a dull and expressionless blue outfit, and the world he lives in, 'Taepyeong Cheonha'. But what about 'Taepyeong Heaven'? It expresses the absurd daily life of an office worker with a sharp gaze, but the title, which seems to be out of place in today's world, rather stimulates curiosity. I wondered how Yoon employee is living in the era of Corona. I met writer Yoon Ji-won, who is reluctant to expose to the press, in a non-face-to-face manner. (Artist Yoon Ji-won is an office worker. He is an ordinary office worker who likes alcohol, paintings, and games, and his hope for the future is retirement ^^;;)
Q.
I remember the
story behind the birth of Taepyeong Cheonha
was in the summer of 2015. At the time, my only pleasure was drinking. I got tired of eating even that, so I decided to have a more productive hobby. So I drew a picture of my work life and posted it on my Facebook account. At that time, most of my 'friends' were coworkers. To be more precise, they were seniors at work, bosses at work. It was when I was still the youngest in the company. (And I'm still the youngest after 5 years)
Still, I don't know what courage I had to draw up my work life. The spirit of being in your 20s is amazing. Fortunately, the response from co-workers was not bad. Since the reactions of the parties who became the subject matter were like this, I thought there would be no problem even if it was released to the public. After that, I started posting comics publicly on brunch and Instagram.
Q. If
you
introduce titles such as 'Taepyeong Cheonha' and 'Staff Yoon' and the characters in the work,
first of
all, in
order to explain the title, I think I should tell you the story behind the name of the main character. At first, I tried to name the main character 'Sawon Yoon'. It's my last name plus the title of 'Employee'. Since it's a cartoon about working life, the main character is an 'employee'. It was a simple name. However, one problem arose. What happens when the protagonist gets a promotion? It would be 'Deputy Employee Yoon' or 'Manager Yoon Employee', but I thought this was a bit strange. So, covering all ranks ' I decided to write the name 'Employee'.
When I decided on the name of the character 'Staff Yoon', there was a person that came to mind.
This is the inspiration of Yoon Ji-won in Chae Man-sik's novel <Taepyeongcheonha>.
Mansik Chae's <Taepyeongcheonha> is also a classic that I enjoyed reading when I was in school, so I thought it would be good to get the title from it.
That's why the title of the content was <Staff Yoon's Taepyeong Cheonha>.
In Chae Man-sik's novel, 'Taepyeong World' is an ironic term for turbulent times.
My manga has a similar corner.
How can an office worker's life be peaceful?
Because it is not under the Taepyeong world, it is called the Taepyeongcheon.
It is an ironic expression like in a novel, and it is also an expression of my wish that I really want it to happen.
<I don't think it's right for me>
Q. Why do you draw webtoons?
Basically, it's because I'm a 'government'.
It makes me happy to think that many people are listening to me.
However, I hope it's not just fun for me.
I hope that people who hear my story will find it fun and comforting.
Even if it's not super funny, I'm trying to draw a manga that everyone can manage to laugh at.
In particular, we would like to avoid using content that criticizes a specific person in a primary color or a specific incident that is overly provocative.
During my 6 years of working at the company, I went through various situations in my own way.
There have been times when I was treated unfairly to the point where my heart raced and I sweated.
If I draw it as a manga, I might be able to win the ire of many people.
However, I try not to include such a story in <Yoon Ji-won's Taepyeong Heaven>.
There are many things that make you angry at work.
The same goes for those who read my cartoons.
I hope that my cartoons will not be another source of stress for these people.
Just say, 'Our manager is the same!'
I hope it's a cut that can make you laugh while doing it.
<Same student, different feeling>
Q. Is 'Staff Yoon' his daughter-in-law?
Back in 2015, the concept of 'buccaneer' was not as clear as it is now.
I think I thought about it that much, drawing everyday comics with a character that imitates myself.
Rather, as time goes by, the feeling of being a 'buccaneer' is getting stronger.
Among many aspects of me, it can be said that employee Yoon is the one that separates me from the image of an office worker.
'Employee Yoon' is a character that only talks about the pain and suffering of an office worker, but in reality, I have a bit of a sense of professional duty.
I'm a little shy for some reason, so I'm not going to put it out there.
Q. I heard that you draw characters in webtoons that are very similar to real people;
At the beginning of the series, I often drew characters using real people as models.
Because my colleagues were willing to become my models.
Not only the team leader, but also the general manager requested that I want to appear in my manga.
When there aren't many volunteers, most of the time, I'll treat it as a back view or draw a third face.
< Telephone hoarseness >
Q. As a webtoon writer, if you have a philosophy or values that you want to keep, you
are always careful so that the content of
your
work does not become 'strong and weak'.
I don't want to be harsh on the weak or be scornful in front of the strong.
The laughter induced by such things is highly volatile and is easily forgotten.
Tolerance develops easily.
Even if it's a little less fun, I want to make content that is close to 'strong, strong and weak'.
Q. What story do you want to cover in the webtoon?
Until now, I have satirized the absurdity of working life from the perspective of a new employee or the youngest employee.
Next year, my juniors will join me, so I think I will be able to draw the company life from a slightly different perspective.
As the years pass, the day will come when I will describe my work life from the point of view of a team leader, right?
< Process of work >
Q. In my webtoon, 'This is definitely there vs. this isn't
.
It is because Employee Yoon always wears blue clothes.
Among the readers, there are many people who remember <Yoon Ji-won's Taepyeong Cheonha> as this blue point.
Now that I think it has become a signature, even when I draw a picture without a person, I always paint blue somewhere.
What I don't have in my work is 'paid advertising' if you limit it to the present.
When I quit my job and worked as a freelancer, I tried to receive advertisements regardless of the amount of money I received.
After I got a new job, I became a little more cautious.
Isn't it against work ethic?
I always worry about this.
After all, as I try to participate only in campaigns that have a strong public interest, I can hardly find the right job.
The bottom line is that 'Employee Yoon' is not making more money than you think.
Are you surprised?
Q. How do you want to be remembered
loosely, but I want you to remember me for a long time.
Even 10 years later, you still find my manga somewhere and say, 'Huh?
This person is still drawing cartoons!' If you welcome me, I think I'll be happy enough.
< Triangle of Salaryman's Regrets >
Q. Where do you get your inspiration for themes and materials?
The material is 'steamed', which I find in my daily life. When an interesting situation occurs, immediately run the smartphone memo app and record the material. When my co-workers make a funny comment, they ask, "Can I draw that as a cartoon?" After asking for consent, I record it again as a subject. I often get inspiration from gatherings like drinking parties. In some cases, my friends who are present tell me their story and ask them to draw a cartoon. However, recently, due to COVID-19, the number of gatherings has decreased, and we have no choice but to discover the material ourselves.
Q.
Among the feedback on the
topic or issue
I am
interested in these days
, there is one that hurts the most. These are the words of a manager who has children in his mid-20s. It was said that <Yoon's Taepyeong World> is for those who are living a very stable life among young people. Employee Yoon is a full-time employee anyway. The anxiety of job seekers and the problem of non-regular workers cannot be adequately addressed. Recently, there are a lot of freelance workers. As platform labor expanded, the concept of 'ultra-short-term workers' was born. Working life is no longer the way of life enjoyed by the majority.
Also, as I draw on the subject of work life, I always listen to the news of worker deaths.
Recently, I carefully watched the news of 'The death of the late Lee Seon-ho at the Port of Pyeongtaek' and 'Naver's workplace harassment accident'.
I wondered how difficult it would be to come to a world where people don't die while working.
I keep thinking about what I can do.
However, I think that this is a problem that needs to be solved with my main job rather than webtoon work.
< admiration >
Q. A favorite author or a book you would like to recommend
Recently, I have been enjoying the works of Kazuo Ishiguro.
These are works that ask questions about the boundary between humans and non-humans while dealing with sci-fi subjects such as clones and androids.
If you explain it like this, it seems like a pretty sharp article, but when you actually read it, it feels lyrical and warm.
It's amazing how you can mix elements that don't seem to fit together like this.
It seems that I am more envious because it is an area that I can never do.
Q. As you grow older, do you feel yourself changing as you work day by day?
Rather than gradually changing in a certain direction as I get older, I think 'working puberty' comes every three years.
It's just that time right now.
Compared to last year and last year, I feel exhausted and not easily recharged.
In my experience, it gets better after this period.
It seems to be a matter of will rather than stamina.
According to a close senior who has been working for the past 20 years this year, puberty does not come after 15 years have passed.
Will it be stable and in slightly poor condition?
I'm going to try and hold on until I can feel this feeling too.
< My role >
Q. Corona has changed my work life a lot.. What do office workers need the most?
This is... an answer that will be insulting to my peers. I'd like to mention a meeting. To be precise, it's a small get-together with like-minded colleagues. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, most workplaces are recommending refraining from private gatherings. At first, I just liked it because I didn't have to go to an unwanted drinking party. But since a year has passed, the reality of not being able to go to the drinking party I want feels a bit harsh.
Q. Persistent generational conflict in the workplace I hear a
lot of people say, “These days, even seniors look out for juniors. I think it's true. So, books like <Born in 1990 is Coming> must have sold that many? There are a lot of bosses who start their speech with phrases such as ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be called a kkondae if I say this~’ or ‘I don’t want to say the same thing about latte~’. What comes after that is the same as before. What's important is that managers are starting to wonder what the younger generation thinks. I think that's a good sign. I think we're ready to hear each other's stories. If a quarrel arises in the process, it may not look good right away. But it's better to burst out even if it hurts than to rot inside. I think it is a process for establishing a new organizational culture.
Q. Relationship with SBS D Forum (SDF)
My first memory of SDF was in 2014, when I was a job seeker, and I went to listen to a lecture by Steven Moffat.
At the time, I enjoyed watching <Doctor Who> and <Sherlock>, and since I was dreaming of joining a broadcasting station, I desperately wanted to participate.
Thankfully, the teacher gave me an invitation so I was able to listen to the lecture.
<Sherlock> I remember a lot of fans participating, so the atmosphere on set was almost like a fan meeting.
I am looking forward to what themes and speakers will appear this year.
<How about Friday>
When asked what kind of message he would like to convey to society through webtoons,
writer Yoon Ji-won sent an honest yet simple and clear cut of webtoon and a single line of text.
In fact, most of the comments on the Taepyeongcheonha webtoon were
"Wow, I thought I was the only one, but it wasn't. I completely agree."
'Writer Yoon's sincerity is being conveyed to the readers.'
Let's think about it.
So, what kind of leadership do the young generation think of today's bosses?
"Q. The leadership wants the younger generation to the boss's.
Do you want a strong charisma, leadership is do you want a warm
gatgoyo would be the preference of the individual differences.
Commonly is
responsible leadership
seems to kkopeul.
Boss seeing recently noticed that the 90 - year - old As the number
of problems
increases, a
new type of problem that has never been encountered is emerging. It is the
case of procrastinating decision-making or work orders
because you do not want to be insulted
by
young people
.
if you encounter
correct, but put it in a louder voice than ever before,
this does not mean that I deny the hierarchy of the organization itself.
bosses are one of the bosses, underlings are capable of doing underlings
, I think yieoteumyeon environment.
Do you agree with Writer Yoon's thoughts?
Young office workers are likely to nod their heads.
(Writing: Lee Jong-hoon reporter whybe0419@sbs.co.kr)
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