The platform, controlled by Naver and the Naver-SoftBank Group joint venture LY Corporation through a Delaware-domiciled, Los Angeles, California-headquartered holding company Webtoon Entertainment Inc.,[1] is free and can be found both on the web at Webtoons.com and on mobile devices available for both Android and iOS.

[7] Line Webtoon comics can be discovered through the "daily system" function, along with being read and downloaded for free on computers and both Android and iOS devices.

Portal sites gathered a large online audience by offering digital comics as bait, and Daum initially led the webtoon market.

Naver, taking advantage of the unexpected success of digital comics, placed webtoons in premium advertising spaces worth 300 million Korean won on its portal surface.

Webtoon administrators paid comic artists only 50,000 Korean Won ($50) as their monthly wage, a highly unscrupulous tactic.

[14][15] Webtoon now features webcomics such as Lore Olympus, UnOrdinary, True Beauty, Space Boy, and Gourmet Hound.

Webtoon Entertainment, the serial comics platform, was founded in South Korea in 2005 by CEO Junkoo Kim, Naver.

[16] Since its launch in 2013, WEBTOON has become the most popular mobile app, catering to young adults who enjoy reading comics and webcomic content.

Naver absorbed the electronic publication rights of Korean artists for a small fee, which allowed them to monopolize works for a long time even though they were not books.

The "vertical scrolling" method was used to fit more content, demanding over 100 cuts, which strained artists' health due to the excessive workload.

[19] On July 2, 2014, the Line Webtoon website and mobile app were launched worldwide, allowing international artists to upload their own works to the service.

[29] Various other established American comic book artists and cartoonists have also partnered with Line Webtoon over time, including Dean Haspiel (New Brooklyn),[30] Katie Cook (Nothing Special),[31] Seth Kushner and Shamus Beyale (The Brooklynite),[32] and Tracy J. Butler (Lackadaisy).

[34] Naver invested US$3.6 million and $1,000 every following month for webtoon creators who reached a certain threshold of activity and popularity with a Patreon page.

Here, Line Webtoon and DeviantArt held discussion panels, "Artist Alley Sponsorships", live draw events, influencer and creator demonstration areas, and on-site contests.

[37][38] In 2017, Line Webtoon and Legendary Comics expanded their partnership with the addition of John Barrowman's Acursian and season 2 of Firebrand.

[45] In January 2021, Webtoon's parent company, Naver, announced that it would acquire the popular user-generated fiction platform Wattpad to provide more opportunities for creators.

[48][49][50] In August 2021, it was announced that Webtoon would be partnering with DC Entertainment to create standalone webcomics that "will appeal to all fans, without the need to know or read any previous stories.

[52] Line Webtoon founder and CEO Junkoo Kim put it this way: "DC has allowed us to create content with their characters and world.

[53][54][55][56] In November 2021, Webtoon announced a series of upcoming webcomics created in collaboration with BTS-management company Hybe and various artists from the label, including BTS, TXT, and Enhypen.

[60] In May 2022, Webtoon and McDonald's USA partnered to celebrate Asian and Pacific American voices through a webcomic series called Drawing on Heritage.

[73] Readers can utilize coins to support their favorite creators and access completed series or Fast Pass content, allowing them to read ahead.

[86] In August 2022, Webtoon announced a Valorant contest held in conjunction with Riot Games, having fans submit original artwork depicting their interpretations of the character Fade, with ten webcomics selected as winners.

In 2021, they announced that the popular webcomic Lore Olympus would be adapted as a series of print graphic novels, published by Del Rey Books.

[118] In October 2022, Webtoon launched Yonder, a serialized fiction app where readers can purchase and read one chapter at a time.

[119] Various movies, Korean dramas, animated series, and video games have been produced based on webtoons released on Naver Corporation's service.

According to JunKoo Kim in 2014, "a total of 189 books, videos, and games based on Naver webtoons have either been produced or are in the process of being made.

"[23] However, Line Webtoon's first entry of video content in the United States came in 2016, in the form of an animated film based on Noblesse.

[120] On November 7, 2016, Air Seoul announced that it had collaborated with Line Webtoon to produce pre-flight safety demonstration videos.

[121] In July 2019, Webtoon produced their first promotional animated short series from one of their exclusive originals, My Giant Nerd Boyfriend.

[125] Several webcomics that started on Webtoon have provided the source IP for popular TV and film adaptations launched by major streamers and distributors.