Jang Bong-gun's Pen Reminiscence My Newspaper Company Story 9

When I was hired as a regular employee, my salary more than doubled, but my heart remained devastated.

At first, I drew carefully to avoid standing out, but gradually "reality check" began to set in. While news articles can hide meaning between the lines and sometimes avoid certain issues, editorial cartoons inevitably reveal the artist's thoughts entirely. I was criticized for not shedding the "Hankyoreh style."

Once, a zealous conservative reader called to protest an editorial cartoon. After complaining at length, he said, "The department head who published this cartoon is also problematic—connect me with the department head." Sensing further discussion would be futile, I transferred the call to the department head. After taking the call, the department head called me in and shouted so loudly the entire editorial department seemed to shake. "Haven't you worked before? How are you transferring calls to the department head?"

I was criticized countless times over content and had editorial cartoons deleted. Submitting cartoons at the last minute to avoid edits proved useless. I was scolded endlessly for missing deadlines. Distorting my thoughts to draw something I didn't believe in was extremely painful. The thought hardened: "If I draw what I think, I'll get fired." Well, I could always make a living somewhere else. Even memories of working part-time at dawn at Noryangjin Fish Market right after my marriage came to mind.