Naver Webtoon announced on the 19th that it will pilot 'video episodes' for its global platform 'WEBTOON' English service starting from the 18th (local time), allowing viewers to enjoy each episode of the work in video format through its parent company, Webtoon Entertainment.
Video episodes are transformed into video content by adding dynamic image movements, immersive sound effects, background music, and voice acting to the vertically scrolling format of webtoons, allowing for an experience similar to animation. Users can choose whether to view the content as video episodes or in the existing vertical scroll format.
Video episodes will begin with 14 popular English original works. Each episode is produced with an average length of around 5 minutes, providing 20 free video episodes for each work. Episodes available for viewing as video episodes will continue to be added, and the number of works available in video episode format will also be increased.
Naver Webtoon is recently incorporating short-form videos into webtoons to expand users' viewing experiences. In May of this year, it revamped its global app (excluding Korean and Japanese) and added a 'New & Hot' tab that provides key scenes from new works and trending pieces in short-form trailers. According to Webtoon Entertainment's second-quarter earnings report, the English service 'WEBTOON' app saw a 19% increase in monthly active users (MAUs) in the second quarter compared to the same period last year due to the effective service overhaul, including the New & Hot tab. In Korea, it will launch a user-generated content (UGC) service called 'Cuts' featuring short-form animations in September.
Kim Yong-su, Chief Strategic Officer (CSO) and Global Webtoon Business Leader at Naver Webtoon, noted, 'Video episodes will present a new viewing trend that allows users to enjoy webtoons more immersively, in addition to the vertical scroll format.' He added, 'We expect that there could be significant synergy when the storytelling power inherent in webtoon content is combined with short-form video trends. Initially, we will operate a beta service in the English service and consider expansions to other language services.'