The World Webtoon Festival is back and bigger than ever, transforming Seoul’s Lotte Town in Jamsil into a paradise for webtoon fans around the world. From October 19 to 22, the four-day event brings together creators, platforms, and readers to celebrate the art and global reach of digital comics.
This year’s festival, co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), expands far beyond its 2024 debut. Fans can expect immersive pop-up stores, live events, and even an awards ceremony recognizing the year’s best stories and creators.
Jamsil Becomes the Heart of Webtoon Culture
The festival completely takes over the Lotte Town Jamsil complex, including Lotte World Mall, with more than 200 webtoon titles represented. Five floors of pop-up stores feature around 1,200 webtoon-themed items from twelve major companies, providing fans with plenty of merchandise to collect.
Each section is themed after popular titles, like a bakery café for Maru is a Puppy, an arcade-style zone for Lookism, and even themed food inspired by Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. Other hits like The Remarried Empress, Solo Leveling, and Tomb Raider King will also have limited-edition collectibles and first-edition hardcovers for sale.
Celebrating the Past, Present, and Future of Webtoons
Fans can explore “The Chronicle of Webtoons,” a six-part exhibition at the Lotte World Ice Rink that traces the evolution of the webtoon medium—from its humble beginnings to its rise as a global storytelling powerhouse.
The event will also feature screenings of animated webtoon adaptations like Maru is a Puppy and Dragon Girl, plus author signings, live drawing demonstrations, and even a live dubbing session by voice actor Nam Doh-hyeong. Industry leaders such as Naver Webtoon, Netmarble, and Wacom are also hosting experience booths.
At Lotte Cinema World Tower, creators behind successful adaptations like Terror Man, Shark, and Itaewon Class will share insights on bringing their works to other media. Kakao Entertainment will also host a special mentorship session for aspiring webtoon writers.
Honoring Global Talent at the World Webtoon Awards
The festival concludes with the World Webtoon Awards, recognizing ten standout titles including The Uncanny Counter, Myst, Might, Mayhem, The Fourth Time’s the Husband, Maru is a Puppy, and Omniscient Reader.
Grand Prize winners will be announced live at Wednesday’s ceremony, alongside the Reader’s Choice Award, determined through global online voting.
Moving Toward a More Global Webtoon Future
While last year’s event drew praise for its presentation, it also faced criticism for being too Korea-centric. Organizers are aiming to change that this year by highlighting more international works—including several nominees from Japanese creators—and improving accessibility for global fans.
With free entry to most exhibitions and pre-registration available through wefe.kr, the 2025 World Webtoon Festival marks another big step toward making Seoul the true center of the webtoon universe.
Source: Korea Times
