WEBTOONS AND THE SPIRIT OF THEIR TIME: READER RESPONSES TO WORKING MOTHERHOOD IN MISAENG

Abstract

This article offers analysis of reader comments on selected episodes of the Yoon Tae-ho’s webtoon Misaeng (2012–2013, first season) that focus on the story of a working mother, Seon. By examining both, best comments and a sample of regular comments, the study explores how readers understood work–family conflict and gender inequality at a specific historical moment, before the rise of large-scale feminist activism in South Korea. The findings show that readers expressed strong emotional reactions, particularly feelings of guilt, moral pressure, and frustration toward unequal domestic expectations placed on working women. Although some comments offered structural critiques of workplace culture, most focused on individual responsibility, especially maternal sacrifice. A smaller group of readers presented resistant views that questioned traditional gender roles. The study argues that webtoon comment sections capture readers’ social attitudes and concerns as they existed at the time of publication. In this way, Misaeng functions as a cultural record of the early 2010s, revealing how gender issues were experienced and interpreted before they became central to public debate.