Kim affirms that Cho’s content resonated with the Chinese audience, creating a natural connection with the movie. The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), responsible for overseeing South Korea’s cultural content, reports that the successful adaptation of webtoons into dramas and films has boosted sales in the Korean web-based comic market to 1.6 trillion won ($1.3 billion) in 2021, a nearly 50% increase from the previous year. Among the international consumers of webtoons, China accounts for 23% of the market share. Naver Webtoon, one of the leading platforms, has been offering its services in traditional and simplified Chinese since 2014. A Naver Webtoon official reveals that there are over 7 million monthly active users in Greater China, including China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. With the rising interest in adapting webtoons into films in China, the collaboration between Chinese video platforms and Naver Webtoon is expanding steadily.
Hsu Yang-jen, a content director based in Taipei, came across webtoons after watching the Korean blockbuster “Along with the Gods” in 2017. Intrigued, she discovered the webtoon version of the movie and read the entire story. Now an avid webtoon consumer, Hsu frequents Kakao Webtoon and Line Webtoon, which is the global version of Naver Webtoon, for a diverse range of content across genres like fantasy, drama, action, romance, historical stories, and horror. Hsu particularly enjoys the structure of webtoons, as they are designed to be read by scrolling, making them easily accessible and enjoyable in any setting.
In addition to South Korea, Chinese platforms have also made webtoons available in video format this year. “Bitten Contract” was released as a short-form drama on Kuaishou, “Gaus Electronics” became a drama on iQiyi, and “Oh! Holy” and “The Girl Downstairs” were adapted into animations on Bilibili. Naver Webtoon aims to discover local creators in various regions to enhance the diversity of their content. The company sees the webtoon IP copyright business as a growing market and is focusing on expanding into the Greater China region.
According to Han Chang-wan, a professor of comics and animation at Sejong University, the rising popularity of South Korean webtoons in China has prompted an increase in the production of motion pictures based on webcomics on Chinese platforms. Movies and series based on webtoons are gaining traction, especially on platforms like Netflix, as China aims to attract viewers to its own subscription-based streaming services.
The global appeal of webtoons extends beyond China, with Naver reporting 86 million monthly subscribers to its Webtoon platform worldwide. Out of Naver’s total sales, 52% now come from outside South Korea. The popularity of webtoons abroad can be attributed to their web-friendly format and diverse range of content. In the past, webtoons struggled to gain popularity overseas due to their reliance on computers, which lacked the mobility of traditional comic books. However, the introduction of smartphones in the 2010s improved accessibility, and the COVID-19 pandemic further contributed to the growth of webtoons as people turned to their phones for entertainment.
According to Park Ki-soo, a professor of international culture at Hanyang University, webtoons’ global popularity is the result of continuous experimentation and analysis of reader preferences by companies like Naver and Kakao. These platforms have produced high-quality content and harnessed big data to target user preferences. While the animation industries in the US and Japan have remained stagnant, South Korea’s webtoon industry has thrived by appealing to a new generation of consumers.
To promote the export of Korean webtoons worldwide, KOCCA organizes an industry event called “K-Story & Comics.” The event allows South Korean webtoon and content companies to showcase their work and engage in business consultations. The event has already taken place in Japan and will also be held in the US, Europe, and China. The powerful portfolio of the webtoon industry, along with the recruitment of overseas artists by companies like Naver, will contribute to the continued growth of webtoons.
Looking to the future, Park predicts an increase in the value of original suppliers of drama and films, with South Korean webtoon companies using data on foreign users to expand their global presence. The word “webtoon” has become commonplace, even in Europe, indicating the widespread recognition and popularity of this medium. Major webtoon companies, such as Naver, have already found success in Japan and are now setting their sights on Europe and the US. Naver’s decision to establish its webtoon headquarters in the US demonstrates its intention to dominate the global market with webtoons and web novels.
Denial of responsibility! TechCodex is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
