Web comics industry faces contraction, adult content surges

Number of titles down 6.7 percent as new releases plunge 14.6 percent across platforms

Logos of Naver Webtoon (left) and Kakao Webtoon

South Korea's once-thriving web comics industry has shown signs of cooling down. New data shows the digital comics market shrank nearly 7 percent last year, with adult content now making up over half of all titles.

According to data released by the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency (KOMACON) on Wednesday, the total number of web comics available across domestic platforms dropped to 18,792 in 2024. This marks a 6.7 percent decrease from the previous year's 20,141 titles.

Industry giant Kakao Entertainment saw a significant decline across its platforms. Kakao Page, its multimedia hub featuring both comics and novels, saw offerings dip by 16.1 percent, from 1,401 to 1,176 titles. Kakao Webtoon recorded an even steeper 22 percent reduction.

Market leader Naver managed to break away from this downward trend. Its flagship Naver Webtoon platform grew by 20.1 percent, adding 71 new titles last year. Naver Series, a digital content platform offering web novels, webtoons and e-books, also grew its lineup by 20.4 percent, reaching 2,775 titles.

The declining number of new releases suggested possible changes in the content creation pipeline. An analysis spanning 34 different South Korean platforms found that new web comic launches dropped by 14.6 percent industry-wide, falling from 17,245 in 2023 to 14,723 last year.

"The web comics market contracted throughout 2024," KOMACON said in its report. "This downturn will likely carry on well into the first half of 2025."

Meanwhile, the report painted a picture of an industry pivoting toward adult-oriented material.

Works rated "18+" accounted for 57.7 percent of all web comics available last year. Niche platforms dominated this segment, with Bomtoon topping the list at 83.4 percent adult-only titles, followed by Jjang Manhwa (82 percent), Bookcube (71.9 percent) and Lezhin Comics (71.3 percent).

Among major platforms, Naver Series stood out with nearly half (48.6 percent) of its catalog rated for adults only. Kakao Page followed at 17 percent, while both Kakao Webtoon and Naver Webtoon held onto relatively family-friendly offerings, with adult titles at 6.6 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively.