The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that it will jointly host the World Webtoon Festival from October 19-22 at Lotte Town in Seoul's Songpa-gu District, in collaboration with the Korea Creative Content Agency. The four-day event aims to foster communication and networking among domestic and international webtoon creators, digital platforms, production companies, and fans of the rapidly growing medium.
Launched last year, the festival represents South Korea's commitment to promoting webtoons as a significant cultural export and entertainment medium. The event will culminate on October 22 with the World Webtoon Awards ceremony, recognizing outstanding achievements in the digital comics industry. The festival serves as a comprehensive platform for industry professionals and enthusiasts to explore the latest trends and developments in webtoon creation and distribution.
Webtoon enthusiasts can look forward to a diverse array of activities throughout the festival. The event will feature a six-part exhibition showcasing various aspects of webtoon culture and artistry. Attendees will also have the opportunity to watch screenings of animated adaptations based on popular webtoons, demonstrating the medium's versatility and cross-media potential. Additionally, fans can participate in autograph sessions with renowned webtoon creators, providing unique opportunities for direct interaction with the artists behind their favorite digital comics.
Major industry players will actively participate in the festival through various exhibitions and interactive programs. Naver Webtoon, one of the world's largest webtoon platforms, along with gaming giant Netmarble and digital art technology company Wacom, will host specialized exhibitions and hands-on activities. These companies will showcase the latest technological innovations and creative tools that are shaping the future of webtoon production and consumption.
Theater No. 8 at Lotte Cinema World Tower will serve as a special venue for diverse programming, including talk concerts featuring webtoon creators whose works have been successfully adapted into other media formats. Notable examples include creators behind popular K-dramas such as "Itaewon Class," which originated as a webtoon before becoming a hit television series. These sessions will provide insights into the creative process of adapting webtoons for different entertainment platforms.
The festival offers free admission to all attendees, making it accessible to webtoon fans from all backgrounds. Interested participants can register in advance through the event's official website at https://www.wefe.kr, or they can register on-site during the festival dates. This accessibility reflects the organizers' goal of making webtoon culture available to the broadest possible audience and encouraging new fans to discover this uniquely Korean form of digital storytelling.
