Webtoon Fans Show Strong Support for Creators with Their Wallets

Web comics-related goods are seen in this image provided by Naber Webtoon.

SEOUL, June 30 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean webcomic readers are garnering attention as extremely loyal customers with significant purchasing power, and they willingly open their wallets not only for webtoons but also for related merchandise.

According to the crowdfunding platform Tumblbug, nearly every project associated with a popular webtoon successfully raises a substantial amount of funds.

For instance, a project to create a perfume inspired by the main character of the popular webtoon “After School Lessons for Unripe Apples” raised 460 million won (US$348,880), while 220 million won was raised for producing diaries.

A graduation album released to commemorate the 10-year saga of the beloved webtoon “Love Revolution” raised 330 million won.

And packages featuring an ink/quill pen and accessories, both inspired by the main character of the webtoon “I Wanna Be U,” successfully raised 120 million won each.

In the case of book publications and the production of audio dramas based on webtoons, the funding amounts reached even higher levels.

To capitalize on the expanding webtoon market, platforms are establishing dedicated online stores or organizing offline pop-up stores to sell merchandise related to these webcomics.

Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)