VOL.69/2024.04

Korean Authors

 

Author-illustrator Kim Sang Keun

 

2021.11.01

 

 

Please introduce yourself to our readers.

 

Hello, it is nice to meet you. My name is Kim Sang Keun. I am an illustrator as well as a writer.

 

What kind of person do you think an author is?

 

A picture book illustrator is an “Eoreune”. “Eoreune” is a compound word meaning adult and child. In English, it is “Kidult”. The reason for my answer is that both my childhood as well as my adulthood are present in myself. I think it is the subject closest to “Eoreune”.

 

Do you have a specific reason for deciding to pursue the study of animation?

 

Throughout my childhood, I tended to encounter cartoons and animation when I watched television. At that time, I liked and earnestly watched shows such as Disney Cartoon Series and other entertaining TV programs in the evening. I would draw the characters and watch the recorded version over and over again when I was growing up. Naturally, I started developing a longing for animation and thinking about pursuing such a profession in the future, then I started building onto that dream, which eventually led to my joining the field.

 

 

A lot of your stories are based on animals. What is your favorite animal?

 

Since my first book features a little mole, I started developing a fondness for the animal. So I would like to say that my favorite animal is the mole. I did find them cute when I saw them in real life. A little guy with such soft fur, crawling around, and I found this quite adorable. Also, I felt that we shared some similarities when I saw them getting nervous after leaving the darkness, as well as some habits and characteristics. I also felt that they resemble certain types of people from contemporary society. That is why I find moles especially charming.

 

How do you plan out your book?

 

When I find something I would like to work on or something I find entertaining, I try drawing the idea out a lot. Would this character be suitable as the main character? What kind of place would this guy live in? I start drawing them out and figure out details such as colors and how scenes can be displayed. I create books by checking if the feelings and emotions between the pages are conveyed well, and then I work on illustrations.

 

 

How did you end up writing the first book?

 

It was one snowy winter night. I was walking along the road with a black bag on my back. I don’t remember seeing the snow at all. My head was full of realistic concerns such as "what should I do to keep myself fed?" as I walked along the road. Since my mind was full of such thoughts, I missed my stop, and when I returned from the next stop I began to think that people tend to be foolish when they are worried. Everybody worries and I thought I could find many points of empathy if I talked about such concerns. So, writing this book ended up being a means to resolve that concern.

 

What are your plans for future?

 

I think I should pick up the speed on my unfinished works, so I can introduce my new works to readers. That is why my goal is to spend more time on work and release new books quickly. And since I have been gaining more interest in other fields aside from picture books, I have been thinking that I might want to try out new works as well.

 

 

 

* The interview and video were produced as a part of the K-Book Online Marketing Support Project of the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA).

 

 

---