ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

History of Korean animation

Okay kiddo, let me tell you about the history of Korean animation in simple words so that you can easily understand it. Animation means making pictures move, just like the cartoons you love to watch.

In the early 1960s, South Korea started creating animated films with limited resources and technology. These animations were mainly used for educational purposes, and thus they were not very popular. The first Korean animated film was the "The Story of Hong Gil-dong," which premiered in 1967. This movie was about a famous Korean folklore hero who led a band of thieves.

After that, the South Korean government realized the value of animation and started to support it by providing financial assistance. This helped the industry to grow, and many companies were set up to produce animation. These companies started creating animations based on Korean mythology, culture, and history. They were getting popular, and people were enjoying them.

In the 1980s, the Korean animation industry saw a significant improvement with the help of new technology and better funding. The animation quality improved, and the stories became more interesting. The Korean animators started to produce animations not only for domestic audiences but also for international audiences.

In the 1990s, South Korea became the second-largest exporter of animation in the world after Japan. They produced many successful animations, such as Pororo the Little Penguin, Hello Jadoo, Robocar Poli, and Larva. These animations became very popular not only in Korea but also in many other countries. Children all around the world started to enjoy Korean animations.

So, kiddo, that is the history of Korean animation. What started as a small industry in the 1960s became one of the biggest industries in the world. South Korea has come a long way, and their animations are loved and enjoyed by many people all around the world.