<div class="editor-img-box" readability="6"><picture><img src="https://newsimg.koreatimes.co.kr/2026/06/12/4a558d80-f478-4ba6-ab3c-29130bdec427.jpg?w=728" alt="Comic artist Kim Keum-suk / Courtesy of the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency " decoding="async" loading="eager" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="caption" readability="7"><p>Comic artist Kim Keum-suk / Courtesy of the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency </p></div></div><p class="editor-p">Kim Keum-suk, a Korean comic artist, has been awarded the Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by France, becoming the first Korean comic artist to receive the honor, according to the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency.</p><p class="editor-p">Kim, 55, is known for works such as “Grass,” which depicts a victim of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, and “Jiseul,” which addresses the Jeju April 3 Uprising.</p><p class="editor-p">The Order of Arts and Letters is a major French cultural honor recognizing significant contributions to the arts and literature. It comprises three ranks: Commandeur, Officier, and Chevalier.</p><p class="editor-p">The award ceremony took place on May 28 at the French Embassy in Seoul, with Kim, the French ambassador to Korea, and the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency president in attendance.</p><p class="editor-p">Kim studied painting at university and pursued a doctoral program in sculpture and installation in France. While working as a translator, she encountered comics and began her career in the medium after her work “The Song of My Father” was published in French as “Le Chant de mon père” in 2012, when she was in her 40s.</p><p class="editor-p">In 2020, Kim received the Harvey Award for “Grass.”</p>
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<p>Korean comic artist Kim Keum-suk has received the Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters from France, becoming the first Korean comic artist to receive the honor, the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency said Friday.</p>
<p>Kim, 55, is best known for works including “Grass,” which tells the story of a victim of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, and “Jiseul,” which tackles the Jeju April 3 Uprising.</p>
<p>The Order of Arts and Letters is one of France’s major cultural honors, awarded to those who have made significant contributions to the arts and literature. It has three ranks: Commandeur, Officier and Chevalier, in descending order of distinction.</p>
<p>The award ceremony was held on May 28 at the French Embassy in Seoul, with Kim, French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Bertoux and Korea Manhwa Contents Agency President Baek Jong-hoon in attendance.</p>
<p>Kim studied painting at university and later pursued a doctoral course in sculpture and installation in France. While working as a translator to make a living, she came across comics and began her career as a comic artist after “The Song of My Father,” published in French as “Le Chant de mon père,” came out in France in 2012, when she was already in her 40s.</p>
<p>In 2020, Kim won the Harvey Award, often referred to as the Oscars of the comics industry, for “Grass.”</p>
<p><em><span>This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.</span></em></p>
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