South Korea Escalates Global Fight Against Webtoon Piracy

On May 28, in the 3rd Meeting of the Webtoon Subcommittee, South Korea’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) Hwi-young Chae stated the intention to increase the campaign against webtoon piracy. The decision follows the sudden increase of illegal distribution sites like Newtoki.

Newtoki reportedly renounced Korean citizenship and became a naturalized Japanese citizen. Prior to the discussion, Newtoki voluntarily shut down its service in April 2026. Chae vowed to pursue the matter to its logical end, adding that a government law enforcement authority will pursue such offenders.

The session was organized by the Culture and Arts Policy Advisory Committee, and explored the caveats in the globalization of K-webtoons. The session brought together representatives from major webtoon companies, copyright protection organizations, and government agencies. 

President of the Federation of Regional Comics and Webtoon Associations, Kim Byung-soo, and Kim Shin, President of the Webtoon Association, also attended the meeting.

South Korean Government Plans Broader Enforcement for Webtoon Piracy

Minister Chae emphasized the necessity to curb illegal distribution. He mentioned that following the closure of Newtoki, subscribers increased on legal distribution sites such as WEBTOON and Kakao.

Popular web novel and webtoon distribution company, WEBTOON, previously saw a 23% paid subscriber increase after deploying Toon Radar, an anti-piracy system, in its 2026 Q1 earnings. Both instances showed relevant impacts of curbing webtoon piracy.

The session followed the government’s May issuance of its first emergency block order against 34 copyright-infringing illegal websites under the Emergency Block System. However, Chae identified the need for stronger measurements because illegal sites continue to evade enforcement with newer technologies such as relocating servers and changing domains.

Beyond enforcement, Chae highlighted plans to expand support for the global growth of Korean webtoons and to introduce measures to assist emerging creators. He announced plans to grow the overseas expansion budget from 2026’s roughly 12 to 13 billion won (~ $8.4 - $8.9 million USD).