To be built at the disused Mipyeong Station, the memorial hall is expected to become a must-visit destination for aspiring webtoon artists.
Yeosu will build a memorial hall dedicated to Heo Young-man, one of South Korea's most celebrated cartoonists and a native of the city, with the facility set to open by March next year.
The city announced Wednesday that it had signed an MOU with Heo Seok-gyun, chief executive of Heo Young-man Co., to cooperate on the project. The signing took place with Heo Young-man's children in attendance due to the cartoonist's health condition.
Under the agreement, the city will take over the former Mipyeong Station — a disused railway facility — from Korea Railroad Corp. and transform it into a multipurpose cultural arts space for residents and tourists.
The city will oversee all administrative and fiscal support required for the hall's construction and operation. Heo Young-man Co. will provide exhibition materials and content, grant rights to characters and intellectual property from major works including "Sikgaek," "Tajja," "Beat," "Gaksital" and "Fly! Super Board," and offer advisory support on program planning.
"Starting with this MOU, we will begin exhibition design and installation work to create a variety of display spaces — including media art combining the spatial character of the former Mipyeong Station with Heo's cartoon content, interactive photo zones and exterior murals featuring his characters — with an opening planned for around March next year," a city culture and arts official said.
parkds@heraldcorp.com
