A Critical Examination of Webtoon Pedagogy in Korean Literary Education

초록

This study investigates the pedagogical application of webtoons, a dominant digital narrative form, within the 2022 revised Korean high school literature curriculum. It aims to identify the literary characteristics and educational implications of webtoons and, based on this, critically analyze their implementation in textbooks to propose effective pedagogical strategies. As a “born-digital” medium, webtoons embody the participatory and immersive qualities of digital environments, characterized by their inherent multimodality, a unique narrative grammar dictated by the vertical scroll, and a vibrant interactive ecosystem. These features present significant opportunities for fostering new aesthetic experiences and advanced literacy skills. However, this study proceeds from the critical observation that current educational practices are constrained by a “|print-to-digital translation fallacy,” wherein the dynamic nature of webtoons is inadequately represented within static, print-based pedagogical frameworks. Through a literature review, this paper establishes a comprehensive analytical framework grounded in five key areas: multimodality, the aesthetics of vertical scrolling, user interactivity, genre hybridity, and contemporaneity. This framework is then applied to a case study of the Haenaem-edu literature textbook's treatment of the webtoon . The analysis reveals a significant disjuncture between the medium's potential and its classroom implementation. The textbook reduces multimodality to mere illustration, negates the aesthetics of scrolling, treats interactivity superficially, and limits the exploration of genre hybridity and contemporaneity. Based on these findings, this paper provides concrete recommendations for a pedagogical paradigm shift, advocating for the adoption of a multiliteracies approach and the fostering of critical digital citizenship to fully realize the educational value of webtoons in contemporary literary education.

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