World Webtoon Festival 2025 Draws Over 200,000 Fans in Seoul

World Webtoon Festival 2025 Draws Over 200,000 Fans in Seoul

The World Webtoon Festival held from October 19 to 22 in Seoul was a massive success, attracting approximately 210,000 visitors. Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), the festival aimed to reinforce South Korea's position as the birthplace of webtoons and showcase the potential of webtoon intellectual property.

Highlights from the Event

The festival featured a pop-up exhibition at Lotte World Mall from October 16 to 26, showcasing 12 companies including major names like Naver Webtoon and Redice Studio. Visitors had the opportunity to explore 35 webtoon IP-based character goods and exclusive merchandise.

On the opening day alone, approximately 42,000 attendees participated, with the highest individual purchase reaching around $2,500. The average spending per visitor was about $33, indicating significant market potential for webtoon-related merchandise.

The main exhibition, themed “The Past, Present, and Future of Webtoons,” attracted about 97,000 visitors during the main event, featuring over 200 webtoon IPs that highlight their expansion into film, performance, and gaming.

In addition to the exhibitions, attendees enjoyed the second annual World Webtoon Awards, celebrating the creators and stories that continue to captivate audiences globally.

Source: Anime News Network