From the 1909 "Illustrations" to a Library of 260,000 Books, Bucheon Korean Comic Museum

The record room of "Cartoon City Bucheon," shaped by the 2001 opening and the 2009 move to Sangdong

The Korean Cartoon Museum first opened on October 12, 2001, on the first floor of Bucheon Sports Complex. It later moved on September 23, 2009, to its current location at 1 Gilju-ro and operated as the "Museum Manhwa Gyujanggak," before once again using the name Korean Cartoon Museum from May 2011.

The current building is inside the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, and the museum was established to collect and preserve comic materials that might otherwise disappear, then connect them to exhibitions and education. Bucheon City introduces this site as a representative tourist attraction of Cartoon City Bucheon, and in autumn it sits within the city’s cultural district where the Bucheon International Comics Festival and the Bucheon International Animation Festival are held.

From the 1909 "Illustration" and the 1946 "Rabbit and Monkey" on the 3rd floor

The starting point of the 3rd-floor Korean Comics History Exhibition Hall is "Illustration," a one-panel political cartoon by Lee Do-young published on the front page of the inaugural issue of Daehan Minbo. The museum explains this as Korea’s first comic, and also covers comic consumption during the Japanese colonial period and "manmun manhwa".

After liberation, "ttegi manhwa" became popular in the 1950s, and the exhibition shows how comic books and magazines during wartime became established as popular culture. Kim Yong-hwan’s "Rabbit and Monkey," introduced as the oldest surviving comic book, was created in 1946 and became a nationally registered cultural property in 2013. The original art for Kim Seong-hwan’s "Gobae-wo Old Man" (1951–2000) and Kim Jong-rae’s "A Long Way to Find Mother" (1958) are also presented as registered cultural property cases.

How to read the exhibition by generation, from 1960s comic-book shops to the 1982 issue of "Treasure Island"

The permanent exhibition moves from comic-book shops and publishing conditions in the 1960s and 1970s, to comic magazines in the 1980s, and then to the magazine market by genre in the 1990s. In the 1960s, comic-book shops spread nationwide, but the near-monopoly of Hapdong Publishing Co. and government pre-review limited the creative environment, and this tension is explained alongside the growth of Korean comics.

"Treasure Island," launched in 1982, is mentioned in the exhibition as a magazine that introduced popular characters such as Dooly, Hani, and Fairy Pink. The gallery also displays comic artists’ pens and the mouse used by artist Chon Kye-young, an early digital-comics tool from the 1990s, allowing visitors to compare manuscripts, printed matter, and digital work tools in chronological order.

How to combine the 4th-floor interactive exhibition with the 386-seat animation theater on the 1st floor

The sightseeing route is easiest to understand if you first view the 3rd-floor history exhibition and then go up to the 4th-floor cartoon experience exhibition hall. The 4th floor focuses on characters and story structure, and is organized as an interactive exhibition where visitors become the protagonist in recreated scenes from comics. Special exhibitions are located on the 1st and 3rd floors, and according to the official guide, special exhibitions are held at least three to four times a year.

The 1st-floor animation theater is a screening venue dedicated to animation designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The screen measures 12 m × 6.5 m, the seating capacity is 386 including 4 accessible seats, and it is equipped with digital 3D and Dolby 7.1-channel sound. Since some screenings and performances require separate reservations, it is safest to check the schedule first to see whether the day’s museum admission ticket alone is enough.

260,000 volumes in the 2nd-floor comic library: free reading from 10:00 to 18:00 after the exhibits

The 2nd-floor comic library is introduced as a specialized comic library with about 260,000 volumes of domestic comics and related materials. Library hours are the same as the museum, from 10:00 to 18:00, and admission is free. Unlike the exhibition areas, it is a space where even companions without exhibition tickets can spend time focused on reading.

New domestic and overseas comic materials are acquired on a regular basis more than three times a month. Materials in the preservation room can be viewed after leaving an ID with staff, food and drinks are not allowed in the reading room, and mobile phones should be set to vibrate. If you plan to read comics for a long time, a schedule that combines 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours for the exhibition with separate library time is ideal.

• Library inquiries: 032-310-3055
• Screening theater inquiries: 032-310-3042
• Museum information desk: 032-310-3090~1

1 minute from Exit 5 of Samsan Gymnasium Station on Line 7, and the real conditions for free parking for passenger cars

By public transportation, it is a 1-minute walk from Exit 5 of Samsan Gymnasium Station on Line 7. By bus, you can use route 37 from Songnae Station, route 79 from Bugae Station, or route 59-1 from Hwajeong Station. The address is 1 Gilju-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, and for navigation you can enter "Korean Cartoon Museum" or "Korea Manhwa Contents Agency."

Passenger cars can park for free in the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency parking lot. If it is full, use the public parking lot at Bucheon Media Culture Complex; the base rate for 30 minutes is 400 won, with an additional 200 won every 10 minutes after that. Mid-sized vehicles with 15 seats or more must use the public parking lot at Bucheon Media Culture Complex or the Ains World parking lot rather than the agency parking lot.

Last entry at 17:00, closed on Mondays: from ticketing and proof documents to photography rules

The museum is open from 10:00 to 18:00, and last entry is at 17:00. It is closed every Monday, on January 1, and during the Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays. Regular admission is 5,000 won for children, teenagers, and adults; a 3-person family ticket is 12,000 won; and a 4-person family ticket is 16,000 won. The official website is https://www.komacon.kr/comicsmuseum_m/.

Residents of Bucheon City receive free admission if they are under 19, and pay 2,500 won if they are 20 or older, with proof required. Group visits of 20 or more elementary-school-aged visitors and above are 4,000 won per person. Group reservations must be submitted through the website at least 3 days before the visit, and up to 200 people per hour are allowed. All areas are non-smoking, and food and drinks, pets other than guide dogs, flash photography, tripods, and commercial filming are prohibited.

• Visitor inquiries: 032-310-3090~1
• Wheelchairs and strollers: available for rental at the 1st-floor information desk (ticket office)
• Nursing room: 1st floor of the museum
• Student group dining area "YamYam": advance reservation required