(Image: ‘Tale of the Heavenly Maiden and the Woodcutter’ webtoon artwork. Photo courtesy of Naver Webtoon)
“People need people. All the characters in my work are hurt by others. But in the end, they are healed through people. While there are many bad people, I believe there are certainly many good people too.”
On July 7, webtoon artist Ahn Su-min shared this message in an interview with a Korean media outlet, revealing the core sentiment she hoped to convey through her popular webtoon, ‘Tale of the Heavenly Maiden and the Woodcutter’ (Korean title: ‘Gyeonwoo and Seonnye’).
In the age of AI, a world that demands speed in everything, perhaps love is something slow and difficult to explain.
‘Tale of the Heavenly Maiden and the Woodcutter’ beautifully portrays the fresh romance of two eighteen-year-olds. It’s an uninhibited love story between ‘Bae Gyeon-woo,’ a boy fated to die, and ‘Park Seong-ah,’ a high school shaman determined to save him. Though the storyline appears simple, its unpredictable twists, the pure charm unique to young adulthood, and the fresh concept of Korean shamanism blend seamlessly to deliver deep emotion. The series began its run on Naver Webtoon in February 2020, concluding its 156-chapter run in January 2023, earning immense affection from readers.
The work is imbued with both a fairy-tale sensibility and a mysterious tension. Seong-ah leads a double life: a normal high school student by day and a renowned shaman, Cheonji Seonnye, by night. In Seong-ah’s eyes, people close to death appear ‘upside down,’ and Gyeon-woo similarly walks into her shamanic shrine upside down.
Seong-ah falls for the handsome Gyeon-woo at first sight and struggles fiercely to save him from his predetermined death. Gyeon-woo finds an odd sense of peace and growing closeness with Seong-ah, yet his persistent bad luck causes a string of unfortunate events. His life, bringing misfortune to those around him, was one of profound isolation. Can Seong-ah prevent Gyeon-woo’s death and win his love?
When asked about the inspiration for the work, Ahn recalled, “One day, while brainstorming for my next project, I read a single line from an urban legend online: ‘In a shaman’s eyes, those who are about to die walk in upside down.’ As soon as I read that, the scene of a handsome boy walking upside down into a shrine and a shaman girl falling for him immediately came to mind.”
Regarding the consultation for the Seong-ah character, Ahn revealed, “I had a roommate I lived with for a long time. She was a friend I spent most of my twenties moving around with, and her grandparents were shamans. They would check the ‘energy’ of a new house for us or write talismans if our dreams were bad. Thanks to them, I was able to get a lot of advice when conceptualizing the story,” she said, expressing her gratitude.
‘Tale of the Heavenly Maiden and the Woodcutter’ realistically captures the diverse emotions of youth, stirring fresh sensibilities. The unique element of ‘Korean shamanism’ is particularly highlighted as a major charm of the work. The author’s characteristic delicate writing, meticulous research into shamanism, and modern interpretation achieved a perfect harmony. Since shamanism can sometimes create a heavy atmosphere, were there any challenges?
Ahn stated, “Shamanism has always been present in the periphery of our lives, but people often find it uncomfortable and difficult. So, I put a boy and a girl starting a romance at the forefront.”
“I wanted to neutralize the eerie and frightening subject of shamanism with a lovely first love. The problem was that I struggled to recall that ‘lovely first love.’ No matter how much I racked my brain, it wasn’t easy to remember those innocent, fluttering feelings of being a teenager. In episodes where the mood clearly needed to be lightened with heart-fluttering moments, I always struggled,” she confessed candidly.
When asked about the most memorable moment during the writing process, Ahn shared a heartwarming story. “While working at a cafe, a female student came up and gave me a blueberry macaron. I was working on the drawing at the time, and I was so touched that she recognized me just from my illustration. I couldn’t bring myself to eat that macaron, so I carefully put it in the freezer and sometimes take it out to look at it.”
*(Image: Caricature of author Ahn Su-min. Photo courtesy of Ahn Su-min. 2025.07.07. photo@newsis.com Unauthorized resale and database use prohibited.)
The tvN Monday-Tuesday drama ‘Tale of the Heavenly Maiden and the Woodcutter,’ based on the webtoon, is currently enjoying a popular run. Actors Choo Young-woo and Jo Yi-hyun star, beautifully portraying the youthful romance. When asked how she felt about the webtoon leading to a published book and then a drama adaptation, Ahn expressed her humility.
“With the book, I was simply happy and amazed. I thought, ‘Finally, a book with my name on it will be on my bookshelf.’ When the book was published, I even deliberately went to a bookstore to take pictures of it on display. The drama didn’t feel real. Even after production was decided, contracts were signed, the cast was chosen, and filming began, it felt like it wasn’t happening to me. Perhaps it was such an unimaginable stroke of luck that it took me a while to process. I was only able to feel truly joyful once the broadcast date was set.”
Her decision to become an author felt like destiny, much like ‘Tale of the Heavenly Maiden and the Woodcutter’ itself. “I entered Western painting, but couldn’t adapt and took a leave of absence. One dawn, while living aimlessly, my eyes suddenly snapped open, and I jumped out of bed, thinking, ‘I need to do webtoons.’ At the time, I thought it was really strange. To decide to become an author overnight… But looking back now, I think I always wanted to do comics. I just didn’t know it myself, so I was wandering around. Now, I love that I can draw comics every single day, which is what I wanted to do so much. More than anything, I feel a great sense of reward knowing there are readers who wait for me every week.”
Ahn also showed a positive attitude when asked about her method for overcoming deadline stress. “After meticulously breaking down the work I need to do for the week, I feel a sense of relief each day I complete my portion. On top of that, when I finish an entire chapter, the sense of accomplishment naturally relieves my stress.”
The work prompts much reflection on human mortality. While death is often taboo, confronting it can make life more precious and fulfilling.
When asked about her thoughts on death, Ahn admitted, “They change as I get older. There were times I thought it was just the end, and times I thought it was a transfer station for the next life. Lately, I’ve decided to think of it as normal. Like a place where you can put down your burdens and rest after a hike.”
Ahn emphasized, “I hope there are many good adults around children. In my work, I intentionally introduce adult helpers, like Seong-ah’s spirit mother or Gyeon-woo’s mother. I hope there will be more people who are nurtured with love and can, in turn, give love.”
