Hyperrealism and the Portrayal of Women in South Korean Webtoons

Abstract: This article looks at “hyperrealism” and the representation of women and feminism in South Korean webtoons. The webtoon genres of “daily life” and “slice-of-life” act as forms of self-expression and tell relatable stories. However, hyperrealism, a term Koreans use to describe specific webtoons, adds a layer of nuance. This article shows how participants in the study use the term “hyperrealism” to denote an exaggerated look into the lives of women in Korea, amplifying the particular struggles women face. Hyperreal webtoons enable women to have a voice and to identify with the issues they see in the webtoon stories. Examples of hyperreal webtoons include Daughter-in-Law , Having a Baby Comic , Decorset Diary , and The History of Seong Gyeong , among others. This article argues that hyperreal webtoons exist as a form of representation to facilitate feminism by allowing expressions of misogyny, violence, sexism, and banal examples of patriarchal oppressions to exist.