Korean Webtoon Giants Step Into TV Production as Adaptations Surge | Be Korea-savvy

Korean Webtoon Giants Step Into TV Production as Adaptations Surge


"Study Group," a popular Naver Webtoon series premiering as a Tving original drama on January 23 (Image courtesy of Tving)

“Study Group,” a popular Naver Webtoon series premiering as a Tving original drama on January 23 (Image courtesy of Tving)

SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — Webtoons and web novels have become a rich source of content for Korean television, with major digital publishers now taking an active role in producing adaptations of their most successful properties, industry sources reported on January 12.

The success of adaptations like “Business Proposal” and “Reborn Rich” in 2022, followed by “Jung_E” and “A Time Called You” in 2023, has cemented webtoons as a mainstream source for television content. Now, companies that traditionally focused on publishing digital content are moving into production, particularly with their most valuable intellectual property.

Leading this wave is “Study Group,” a popular Naver Webtoon series premiering as a Tving original drama on January 23, starring Hwang Min-hyun. The series, which follows a vocational school student fighting his way toward a college education, has maintained its position as the 11th most popular Saturday series on Naver Webtoon, even during an eight-month hiatus. 

The following day, Netflix will release “The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call,” starring Ju Ji-hoon and Chu Young-woo, based on Naver Webtoon’s “Trauma Center: Golden Hour.” The medical drama, adapted from a web novel written by a practicing physician, has accumulated 38 million downloads in its original form.

Another anticipated adaptation is MBC’s version of Kakao Webtoon’s “Crushology 101,” scheduled for April. The romance series, which follows a heartbroken protagonist pursued by multiple suitors, has garnered 170 million views and found success across Asia, including Japan, China, Taiwan, and Thailand.

What distinguishes these upcoming adaptations is the direct involvement of webtoon companies in production. “Study Group” is being produced by YLAB Flex, an in-house independent company of the original IP holder YLAB, in collaboration with Studio Dragon. Studio N, a Naver Webtoon subsidiary, is involved in producing ” The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call,” while Kakao Entertainment has taken charge of “Crushology 101″ production. 

“As the original IP holders who best understand these properties, we’re actively pursuing cross-media content development,” a Kakao Entertainment representative explained. “Series like ‘A Time Called You,’ ‘Business Proposal,’ and ‘Not Others’ demonstrate our success in expanding beyond the original fan base to reach new audiences.”

The strategy reflects a growing recognition that proven webtoon properties, with their established readership and verified storytelling appeal, can be more effectively adapted when the original publishers maintain creative control rather than simply selling adaptation rights.

Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com) 

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