World Webtoon Festival to return with global push

Korea's premier web comic event expands to major shopping complex as industry eyes international growth

Logos of Naver Webtoon (left) and Kakao Webtoon

South Korea’s flagship web comic showcase is returning for a second year — this time, on a larger scale. As with last year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will host the event, with the Korea Creative Content Agency overseeing operations.

The 2025 World Webtoon Festival will take place Oct. 19–22 at the sprawling Lotte World Mall complex in Songpa-gu, Seoul, a 244,000-square-meter mixed-use development. The new venue marks a shift from last year’s boutique setup in Seongsu-dong to one of Asia’s largest shopping destinations, allowing for greater international participation and expanded commercial programming.

Pop-up stores will occupy 11 spaces ranging from 10 to 100 square meters throughout the mall. These retail spaces will operate beyond the four-day festival window, staying open Oct. 16-26 to capitalize on visitor traffic and commercial momentum.

The complex's ice rink will house content exhibitions, while its multiplex cinema will host conferences and presentations featuring industry professionals and creators in a 300-seat theater.

This year's festival doubles down on cross-platform storytelling — showcasing how webtoons branch into games, animation and other multimedia formats. Separately, a job fair will connect aspiring creators with production houses to help expand career pathways in the rapidly growing sector.

The culture ministry plans broader international participation following criticism that last year's event fell short of its global branding. This year's programming will feature creators and professionals from around the world to bring diverse industry perspectives.

The second World Webtoon Awards ceremony will cap the festival's final day by recognizing outstanding domestic and international works across multiple categories.

Last year's inaugural festival drew packed crowds to venues across Seongsu-dong. Popular series like "Solo Leveling" and "Omniscient Reader" drove merchandise pavilions, while tech giants Naver and Kakao demonstrated platform innovations, including AI-powered features and interactive viewing technologies.

Korea's web comic industry recorded 2.19 trillion won ($1.5 billion) in sales in 2023, marking nearly 20 percent growth year-over-year, according to government data released earlier this year.