‘K-웹툰’ 불법유통 북아프리카 누리집 3곳 폐쇄…운영자 검거

The Korean webtoon platform, K-웹툰, has been shut down three illegal distribution sites in North Africa after a joint international investigation. The Culture, Sports, and Tourism Ministry, along with Naver Webtoon, the FBI, Interpol, and local prosecutors, conducted the operation. The three sites were shut down and their operator arrested on July 13th, following the results of an international investigative joint operation.

These websites had been operating since July 2024, specifically targeting US and European users, by illegally scanning and translating official K-웹툰 content into English. The Culture Ministry reported that these sites had illegally copied and distributed 83,688 pieces of content, including 39,265 pieces of domestic webtoons and 5,202 pieces of web novels.

The K-웹툰 content accounted for about 57% of the total content, with an estimated annual loss of around 200 billion won. Naver Webtoon's works were also found to have been illegally scanned and translated into 300+ works. The sites were not just relay sites, but served as the primary source for illegally distributing content. This led to the illegal copies being redistributed by other pirate webtoon sites.

The investigation began in March after Naver Webtoon reported the situation to the Culture Ministry via Interpol. The ministry launched an international investigative joint operation and worked with Korean police, North African police forces, and local prosecutors to close the three sites in mid-July. Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism spokesperson, Kim Jae-hyun, stated that they would strengthen cooperation with international organizations and domestic industry to better protect the copyrights of K-웹툰 content.