Things are looking dire for the webcomics industry.
Pocket Comics, a platform for Korean webtoons and Chinese manhua, has announced that it will shut down its Korean, French, and English services. The notice of service termination appears on the desktop platform as soon as users enter the website. The platform for all three languages will shut down simultaneously on October 31 at 2:59 AM UTC.
The website provides a longer explanation, first thanking readers for their support over the years. “Despite our best efforts to operate Pocket Comics to the highest standards in appreciation of your support, we regret to announce that our service will officially come to an end on October 31, 2025, due to business reasons.”
Readers should mark their calendars for July 15, when most key features will end:
-
The app will no longer be available on Google Play (Samsung) and the Apple App Store
-
Users won’t be able to buy coins
-
The publishing schedule will stop updating
-
Ad-based free tickets will no longer be available
Between now and October 31, readers can still:
-
Use any existing coins to purchase chapters. Any unused coins will automatically expire after their validity period ends
-
Access purchased episodes
-
However, all previously purchased episodes will become inaccessible after October 31. Even if you “own” these chapters or stories, you won’t be able to read them once the platform shuts down
-
-
Use the offerwall
NHN Comico Corporation owns and operates Pocket Comics. It launched the Japanese version of the platform, Comico, in 2013, followed by expansions into Taiwan in 2014, Korea in 2016, North America in July 2020, and France in January 2022. According to MoneyS, NHN made the decision to shut down its overseas platforms to “improve operational efficiency and profitability in the webtoon business.”
NHN now plans to focus on content production instead of distribution. As part of its strategy to “attack the global webtoon market,” NHN will concentrate on its remaining Comico service in Japan and expand collaborations with other major domestic and international platforms. The company also aims to strengthen its original IP lineup, broaden its genre offerings—particularly romantasy—and deliver high-quality webcomics that resonate with global readers.
Pocket Comics hosted numerous comics also available on other platforms, but it featured several exclusives such as I Can’t Keep Up With My Stallion Duke, Another Typical Fantasy Romance, Take Me Back Home, Stuck in My Sister’s Dating Sim, Nullitas ~The Countefeit Bride~, and more. It’s still unclear where these Pocket Comics exclusives will end up next.
Source: Pocket Comics
