The History of Soju: A Comic Strip Reflection

I created a comic strip on the history of soju because this topic had truly piqued my interest. The comic strip highlights information drawn from the book Soju: A Global History (Cambridge University Press, 2021) by Hyunhee Park. While it was definitely a challenge to condense the vast amount of information in the book, I aimed to convey the main takeaways. One of the key takeaways is how soju served as an example of food culture and broader global cultural exchange. The development of soju in Korea suggests an interactive relationship between technology and culture–that technology drives cultural change and vice versa.

As someone who was never interested in alcohol or its history, I genuinely enjoyed learning many new and fascinating facts about soju’s history through reading Park’s book. I was particularly amazed at how alcohol could play a significant role in human lives and cultures, and the complex histories behind its transfer. While soju is considered one of the most popular drinks today, not many people are aware of its history because of how difficult it is to access information about it outside of academic research, which can be at first overwhelming or challenging to understand. My intention, therefore, is to share valuable insight into the history of soju in a less formal way through my comic strip. After completing this project, I feel that I’ve taken a big step toward embracing my Korean heritage by delving into its rich history.

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