세종대, 일본 대학생 초청 ‘K-웹툰’ 집중교육 진행… 한일 고등교육 교류 확대

Sejong University (President Eom Jong-hwa) hosted a concentrated education program from August 9th to 23rd, inviting 20 Japanese university students to learn about the university's strengths in manga and webtoons. The university was recently selected as a '2026 Joint Higher Education Student Exchange Program' college by the National Institute for International Education.

This program was based on Sejong University's Animation & Entertainment Technology department's curriculum, focusing on the entire process of creating a webtoon IP, from concept to completion, with practical experience. Participants experienced creating their own webtoon IP, including IP planning, character design, storytelling, direction, and storyboard creation.

The program also included industry connections, such as a guest lecture by renowned writer Choi Jung-soo from NAVER·LINE, a visit to AI webtoon production company 'Tonsquare', and a field trip to Sejong University's motion capture studio. This allowed attendees to experience the entire production process and latest technology trends in the Korean webtoon industry.

Professor Eun-sik from the Animation & Entertainment Technology department explained, "The education program was designed to help students not just experience Korean webtoons but also develop their own ideas into actual webtoon IPs." Along with the specialized education, the students also took part in Korean language workshops using webtoon content, and diverse cultural experiences, including visits to Lotte World Aquarium, Hangang Park, Myeong-dong Nanta Show, Hongdae Street Performance, and DMZ security zone tour.

The program's educational outcomes were shared at a results presentation on August 21st, where participating students showcased their webtoon creations to a panel of faculty and industry experts, and awarded prizes for outstanding works. The university's Director of International Cooperation, Joon-hoon, stated, "This program represents an international educational cooperation case where Sejong University's strength in K-content education can be applied" and plans to expand the collaboration with Japanese universities beyond student exchanges to include practical joint efforts in both education and industry.