In this file photo, a visitor looks at exhibits during the 2023 Webtoon Job Festa held at the COEX convention center in southern Seoul on Nov. 28, 2023. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Apr. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – Writers serializing their works on Naver Webtoon will now be able to take two breaks per year without any concerns, as the platform has recently revised its serialization rules.
According to webtoon industry insiders on April 10, Naver Webtoon has formalized a new policy allowing creators to take a break after every 25 episodes they release.
Previously, Naver Webtoon granted its writers a single break annually. Additionally, creators could pause their serialization for special reasons such as bereavement, health issues, or childbirth.
With the new rule of one break after every 25 episodes, writers now have more opportunities to take a breather during their serialization schedules.
Before this change, writers could only take a break once a year, regardless of their publication frequency. Now, creators serializing weekly can take two breaks annually, while those publishing biweekly can take up to four breaks per year.
This enhanced break policy applies equally to all Naver Webtoon writers without the need for individual contract modifications.
Strengthening break allowances has been a longstanding demand from webtoon creators. As the number of panels and the complexity of artwork have increased, concerns over excessive workloads for weekly serializers have been constantly raised.
In 2022, industry representatives gathered under the guidance of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to draft a mutual growth agreement, during which discussions on break policies took place.
Kakao Entertainment, which operates major webtoon platforms like Kakao Page and Kakao Webtoon, had already implemented a clause in its creator contracts from February 2022, guaranteeing two breaks based on a 40-episode cycle.
The enhanced break policy will also be reflected in the recently revised standard webtoon contract.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism had previously announced that the draft webtoon serialization contract would include a clause mandating “two breaks per 50 episodes based on the serialization cycle.” The finalized standard contract and usage guidelines are expected to be released in the near future.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
