North African operator busted in global crackdown on $14 mil. K-content piracy ring

In a significant victory against illegal digital distribution networks, the Korea Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, alongside the Korean National Police Agency, Interpol, and major player Naver Webtoon, managed to dismantle three key piracy websites located in North Africa. This coordinated effort led to the capture of the main operator, who goes by the nickname DEV, and the effective shutdown of the unlawful websites.

The sites, which had been in operation since July 2024, were made up of webtoon and web novel piracy platforms, as well as a third site that combined both types of content. The operation came to light when authorities found that the criminal network had been copying and distributing 83,688 copyrighted works, with 30,926 of these being webtoons and 5,202 being web novels.

Some of the popularly pirated content included the hit title The Trauma Code. A considerable portion of the pirated material, around 57 percent, was found to be Korean cultural exports, collectively called K-content. The ministry estimates that these three platforms alone caused over 20 billion won, which translates to about $14.2 million, in annual financial losses for the creative industry.