We will focus this year on investment and creator support so that webtoons can be recognized as mainstream content in the United States and global markets.Kim Yong-su, president of Webtoon Entertainment
Webtoon Entertainment, the parent company of Naver Webtoon, will invest more than 70 billion won this year in discovering new works and supporting creators. Like Walt Disney, which owns intellectual property (IP) that has endured for more than 100 years, the company plans to grow hit titles into "mega IP" to find a breakthrough in the stagnant webtoon market, and to draw in users by advancing its artificial intelligence (AI)-based personalized recommendation features.
On the 17th, at a press briefing held at Naver Square in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul, new Webtoon Entertainment President Kim Yong-su said, "In the end, webtoons are a creation platform, so creators' success is the success of webtoons." He defined Webtoon Entertainment not as a simple publisher but as a "storytelling tech platform."
That day, Naver Webtoon said it would speed up expansion of its "flywheel," a virtuous cycle in which creator growth leads to the creation of high-quality content and user inflow. Kim said, "The biggest function of the flywheel is to discover and grow IP," adding, "This year we will invest more than 70 billion won in creator support and discovering new works." The funds will be used for discovering works through hosting contests, creator education and welfare, and support for global expansion.
He emphasized that diversity is the key factor that ensures success, saying, "For creators and webtoon platforms to grow together, as much high-quality content as possible must gather." In line with this stance, Naver Webtoon plans to increase new releases even as the industry trends toward fewer launches. This year it will focus on discovering local works in overseas markets, including North America and Europe, beyond Korea.
Kim said, "From 2021 to 2025, the total revenue distributed to creators by Webtoon Entertainment was 415 billion won, and we expect that scale to continue growing."
In particular, the company is pushing a strategy to cultivate "mega IP," where popular web novel and webtoon IP from Naver Webtoon expands into Netflix drama series or animation, games, merchandise, and more. Kim said, "Our goal is to grow mega IP that can stand alongside global top-tier IP." He cited Naver Webtoon IP with the potential to grow into mega IP, including the hit "Tower of God," produced as a game and animation, and the English original webtoon "Lore Olympus," now being produced as an animation targeting broadcast on Amazon Prime in 2028.
The company will also accelerate its global expansion. Naver Webtoon will launch a new comics platform featuring Disney and Marvel content by the end of this year to target the North American market. Kim said, "In Korea and Japan, webtoons are content enjoyed by all ages, but in the United States and other global markets, they are still a niche market, with most users being young women," adding, "In North America, the core Disney and Marvel fan base is mainly middle-aged and older men, so with the launch of the comics platform, we expect growth by securing new users."
He added, "By region, in the United States we are focused on expanding users, in Korea on supporting creators, and in Japan, the 'manga kingdom,' on ways for local creators to come into the webtoon platform and grow."
The company also plans to diversify webtoon consumption into video formats through Naver Webtoon's short-form animation service "Cuts" and North America's "Video Episode." Through this, it aims to secure Generation Z users (born after 1995 to the mid-2000s) who prefer short-form videos. To increase user immersion in webtoons and drive return visits, it will also advance features such as AI recommendations and the AI-based character dialogue service "Character Chat."
Asked about ways to improve Webtoon Entertainment's profitability, Kim said, "For now, our top priority is not short-term revenue improvement but mid- to long-term growth." As the biggest task is to raise the status of webtoons in global markets, including the United States, so they are recognized as mainstream rather than niche content, he said the company will focus on growth over profitability for the time being and continue active investment and marketing.
Previously, Webtoon Entertainment announced that last year's sales were $1,382,710,000 (about 1.9647 trillion won), with an operating loss of $63,510,000 (about 90.2 billion won). Sales rose 2.5% from a year earlier. The operating loss narrowed by 36.8%, but the company remained in the red for a second straight year.