Marvel Comics' Spider-Man character will meet readers through the vertical scrolling format of the Naver Webtoon comic platform - Photo: Naver Webtoon
According to The Korea Times , South Korean webtoon platforms such as Naver Webtoon and Kakao Webtoon are ambitious to transform themselves from native digital comic platforms into pillars of global popular culture, creating interdisciplinary intellectual property (IP) and asserting the power of digital storytelling.
Formatting
According to Korea JoongAng Daily , Naver Webtoon has just introduced a beta version of its " video episode" feature on its English version to meet readers' demand for quick and entertaining comic reading.
Instead of the traditional scrolling format, the comic episodes are enhanced with motion graphics, sound effects, background music, and voiceovers. Each episode is approximately 5 minutes long, with 20 episodes available for free in each series.
Naver Webtoon introduces "video episode" format - Photo: Naver Webtoon
Naver Webtoon plans to test this feature first on English-language titles, then consider expanding it to other language platforms.
In April, Kakao Entertainment also launched an AI-powered short-form video production tool called "Helix Shorts." This technology automatically creates short videos by analyzing frames and dialogue within webtoons.
The global success of numerous hit TV dramas and films adapted from webtoons demonstrates the cross-border cultural influence of Korean webtoons.
Cultural critic Bae Kook Nam shared with The Korea Times that the rise of South Korean webtoon platforms is gradually reshaping the comic book industry in the digital age.
"The technological development efforts of Naver Webtoon and Kakao Webtoon represent a significant leap forward in the digital storytelling capabilities of Korean comic platforms, focusing on maximizing creative space and strengthening their global competitive position."
A global leap with Disney
Another significant milestone worth mentioning is that a few days ago, Webtoon Entertainment, the US parent company of Naver Webtoon, announced a multi-year global content partnership with the Walt Disney Company.
According to the agreement, popular franchises such as Spider-Man, Avengers, Star Wars , and Alien will be "reborn" as scrolling webtoons specifically for mobile phones.
Approximately 100 titles will be released sequentially on the English-language Webtoon app, marking the platform's entry as a key player in global content distribution.
Inspired by Disney's vast archive, the works are adapted into new webtoon series, encompassing genres from action and superheroes to fairy tales and princesses, aiming to offer fresh perspectives on popular characters in a different format.
The titles scheduled for release include Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Alien, Star Wars , and Disney As Old As Time: A Twisted Tale .
Disney's senior vice president of digital transformation, Daniel Fink, stated that this collaboration helps Disney expand its content universe to younger, mobile-savvy readers, while also generating additional revenue from the company's vast IP portfolio.
From Naver's perspective, this agreement fills a gap in the superhero comic content market, which has not been deeply explored in Asia. A Naver representative said, "The short-form video comic market is currently very large and promising, which is why we are striving to develop new content by combining various technologies."
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/webtoon-thoi-cuon-doc-thich-hop-doc-nhanh-บน-dien-thoai-di-dong-20250820035200675.htm
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