Naver Webtoon's representative work 'BARKHAN' is being produced as a theatrical 3D animation and is set to be released next year. This work is a fantasy action series serialized since 2015 and has maintained consistent popularity within Naver Webtoon as a long-running series. Recently, with the success of 'The King of Kings' at the North American box office, the presence of Korean animated films is growing both domestically and internationally, fueling the expansion of K-content.
According to the industry on the 21st, Studio Locus, which is producing the 'BARKHAN' animated feature, is currently aiming to complete major visual enhancement tasks like light, rendering, and composition, following the original artwork that forms the basis of the character and background movements by the end of this year. The official release is expected in the first half of next year after going through editing, sound mixing, video content rating review, and marketing.
Locus proved its commercial viability and technical prowess with the release of last year's first domestic adult occult animation 'Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning.' This work is evaluated as a case that demonstrated the box office potential of genre animation, recording a cumulative audience of 500,000. The animated film 'Yumi's Cells: The Movie,' co-produced with Naver Webtoon affiliate Studio N, won the Presidential Award in the animation category at the Korea Content Awards last year. They are currently working on a feature-length animation, 'KOKDU', set to be released in 2027, in collaboration with director Kim Tae-yong. Additionally, development of animation content based on Naver Webtoon intellectual properties (IPs) such as 'Denma' and 'Guardians of the Video Game' is also underway, along with joint projects with Japanese production companies.
K-webtoon-based animations are spreading beyond specific platforms into the overall content industry. Previously, Kakao Entertainment's webtoon IP 'Solo Leveling' was adapted into a video by Japanese animation producers, winning nine awards including Best Picture and Best Director at the Crunchyroll Awards this year, and securing global box office power by combining with a distribution network centered on global streaming platforms.
The commercial success of purely domestically produced animations is also evident. Director Jang Seong-ho's animated film 'The King of Kings' reached the number one spot at the North American box office just 17 days after release, becoming the first South Korean film to surpass the North American cumulative revenue of 'Parasite,' and it recorded the second highest box office in Asian animation history. With attention drawn to its Korean dubbed version featuring Lee Byung-hun and Lee Ha-nee, the film became number one at the box office just five days after its domestic release, surpassing a cumulative audience of 380,000. As of the 20th, it has recorded the highest seat sales and market share, surpassing Brad Pitt's 'F1: The Movie.'
With the expansion of investments from global platforms centered on Netflix and the artistic achievements of independent animation, the industry's overall boundaries are also expanding. Netflix recently invested in the adult animation 'Lost in Starlight,' featuring voice performances by Kim Tae-ri and Hong Gyeong, and the Korean short animation 'Glasses' was invited to compete in the short film category at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, earning recognition for its quality. Additionally, 'K-Pop Demon Hunters,' produced by Sony Pictures in the United States, is a musical action animation that combines K-pop, traditional culture, and fantasy, currently receiving explosive responses on Netflix. It is noted as a case that effectively expands Korean narratives and music in the format of animation.
Government-level strategic support is also beginning to take shape. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced in April the '2025-2030 Basic Plan for the Animation Industry' aiming to establish a specialized animation fund of 150 billion won by 2029 to nurture related industries. In particular, it plans to focus on the visualization of webtoon and web novel IPs, strengthening streaming-based distribution structures, and automation in production based on AI, with a goal of achieving 1.9 trillion won in revenue by 2030. The gaming industry is also taking note of animation as a next-generation source of revenue. KRAFTON recently acquired the Japanese ADK Group to secure its own distribution network and is reviewing the animation of hardcore game IPs.
A content industry official noted, "In the past, there was a lack of experience and infrastructure for producing feature animations domestically, and outsourcing production was typical," adding, "However, recently, with rapid advancements in technology and an increase in feature projects centered around large IPs, the production environment is changing." He continued, "In the past, animation was only recognized as content for children, but now high-quality genre and fantasy works appealing to adult tastes are gaining popularity and emerging as mainstream in the content industry."