hankyoreh

Each picture is a Eureka moment. The pictures pose blunt questions about issues that we Koreans all know about but are reluctant to examine, such as politicians betraying democracy, businesspeople exploiting their workers’ passion, men being violent toward women and a society in which inequality begins at birth. The pictures remind us of things we have blithely disregarded. As I flip through the pictures, each one is gratifying, while also leaving a bad taste in my mouth. This is because of the captions, which cut to the heart of a society rife with unending competition, consumerism and sexual discrimination.

Though the pictures are accompanied by fluent Korean captions, the artist behind them is a young Spaniard, born in 1987, named Daniel Cornejo. After studying Korean on his own, he came to South Korea and completed a program in translating Korean literature. Most of the more than 168,000 people following him on Instagram are Koreans.

Cornejo, who says he is “inspired by analyzing what people do and say,” draws his pictures while actively communicating in Korean with his followers. Here are some of the reactions his pictures have received: “Every time I look at them, my head spins and I have to think things over” (@shw******); “You really seem to be perceptive. I’m always amazed” (@grr****); “Everything is explained by a single scene” (@eeu***); and “Your writing really gives me goose bumps” (@hap********).

With his illustrations being positively received, a collection of them were published by the company Kung in March under the name “Lightning: The World Seen through Sharp and Sparkling Stories.” On Nov. 30, the Hankyoreh conducted a written interview with Daniel. He is currently living in Spain, where he continues to draw.

Hankyoreh (Hani): Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Daniel Cornejo (Cornejo): I’m a Spanish artist named Daniel. But in fact, I’m not sure whether I can be called an artist. A book of my illustrations was published in South Korea a few months ago, but recently I’ve been out of work and have been drawing as a hobby. I’d like for my pictures to be carried in newspapers or magazines in the future. I studied at the Literature Translation Institute of Korea for two years, but none of my translations have been published yet.

Hani: What brought you to Korea?

Cornejo: I started studying Korean because of a Korean friend, and later I went there to continue my language studies. (Cornejo studied Korean at a language institute run by Sogang University, and he studied Korean literary translation at the Literature Translation Institute of Korea.)

Hani: Looking at your pictures gives the impression that you have a good understanding of Korean society.

Cornejo: Is that so? There are a lot of people who think I really understand Korean society after looking at my pictures, but I don’t really. I also don’t think you can generalize about Koreans. My pictures aren’t just about Korean society; they’re about universal problems found in every country. I think that a Spaniard, Korean or American can all relate to my pictures. I draw like that on purpose [so that many people can relate].

Hani: How did you start drawing?

Cornejo: I’ve been drawing since I was young. I just draw because I like it. The reason I started drawing satires of society was because, when my analysis of society brought ethical problems to my attention, I felt like I had a moral responsibility to oppose them. It’s like my feminist drawings. Lately, I’ve also been hoping I can find a job where I can draw this sort of picture.

Hani: You’ve gotten some positive attention by drawing a few pictures about feminism. Are you interested in feminism?

Cornejo: When you look at society, it seems clear that women have been affected by the patriarchy and that they’re suffering [harm because of it]. I’ve made up my mind to use my pictures to express my opposition [to that issue]. I’d say that an issue that affects half of humanity is pretty important.

Hani: How are South Korea and Spain different from each other?

Cornejo: Culturally speaking, of course, there are obvious differences between them. But viewed on a more fundamental level, those differences aren’t that big. Since the two countries have the same economic system [capitalism], people have similar values. The patriarchy, consumerism, appearances and unending competition seem to have a major impact [on both those countries].

Hani: Where do you get your inspiration?

Cornejo: Just from my daily life, I guess. (smiling) There are also times I get ideas from the news or from books I read. I guess they just pop up as I go about my life.

Hani: Is there any particular reason you started using Korean?

Cornejo: At first, I wrote in Korean because I wanted to practice the language. But this turned out to be popular with Koreans, so I kept doing it. I guess that foreigners who can speak Korean are kind of popular in Korea. And since there aren’t many people in Korea who draw pictures like this, people seem to find them fresh and original.

By Park Da-hae, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]