Ahead of a South Korean court order that will be implemented on May 11th, 2026, piracy site Newtoki (also written as Newtokki) voluntarily terminated its website at midnight on April 27th, 2026. This decision impacts Newtoki’s other sites, such as Manatoki / Manatokki (manga) and Booktoki / Booktokki (web novels). A notice was posted on the NewToki469 site—the latest and last iteration of the page’s URL—but is currently inaccessible as of the publication of this piece. This comes three months following the shut down of manga piracy site, BATO.
![Google Translation: Newtokki/Manatokki/Booktokki Service Termination We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all members who have used our service. [Data Destruction Notice] All data generated during the use of the service will be deleted in bulk. [Beware of Impersonation Sites] Newtokki, Manatokki, and Booktokki have absolutely no plans to resume services in the future. Please be advised that any sites using similar names from now on are impersonation sites unrelated to this service. Notice Period: This page will remain open until midnight today and will be automatically closed.](https://kcomicsbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Newtoki-Notice.png)
On Newtoki’s notice page, the operators stated there would be “no plans to resume services in the future.” Although the site’s managers did not directly state the exact reason for why it’s ceasing operation, the sudden closure could be tied to South Korea’s amendment to the Copyright Act (translated source). The full original source can be found here.
On 11 May 2026, the amendment to the Copyright Act enters into force. The Act applies to online service providers and other actors involved in the distribution of copyright-protected content. The Act establishes an enforcement framework for illegal online content, including recognizing the operation of websites and services that provide access to infringing content via links as copyright infringement, and enabling authorities to order the deletion of infringing content and the blocking of access to such content.
Earlier this month, the X (formerly Twitter) account of South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism posted information on the Emergency Blockade and Access Restriction System for Illegal Sites of under the Copyright Act. There it outlined that it would implement measures to swiftly fight piracy websites that host and publish content illegally, thereby minimizing the existence of illegal distribution and “reduce approximately 4 trillion KRW (~2.7 billion USD) in damages.” Due to this amendment, violators could face up to “seven years in prison or fines of up to 100 million won.”
Several posts on Reddit and X noted that a .net version of the site posted an announcement, which cites a “server data breach” and that the site was under maintenance. However, K-Comics Beat could not verify the validity of these claims. This “mirror” site could likely be a fraudulent copy by scammers, including the Telegram link provided in the announcement.
Source: Chosun, Asia Business Daily, Digital Policy Alert
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