[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] Kakao Entertainment announced on the 11th that its webtoon platform 'Kakao Webtoon' has ranked first in the Thai and Taiwanese markets.
'Kakao Webtoon' ranked first in the comics category on the Thai Google Play Store and second in the entertainment category on the Apple App Store. In Taiwan, it also ranked first in the comics category and sixth in the entertainment category. In Thailand, the cumulative daily transaction amount exceeded 300 million KRW just four days after launch.
The company explained that excellent original IPs, verified in Korea, Japan, and the United States through intellectual property experience (IPX), drove sales. Paid subscribers flocked to titles such as 'Solo Leveling', 'I Became the Villainous Count’s Family', and 'Charlotte Has Five Disciples'.
Kakao Entertainment plans to expand the number of works in Thailand from the current 70 to 200 by the second half of the year. In Taiwan, it will increase from about 60 works to over 100.
Kakao Entertainment will continue to expand its network through 'Kakao Webtoon' and its subsidiary platforms into domestic, Greater China, North America, India, and Europe. It plans to offer services in English, French, Spanish, and German in the second half of the year and actively target the global market. Kakao Entertainment has invested 1.5 trillion KRW in IP development and holds the largest scale of 8,500 original IPs domestically.
Lee Jin-su, CEO of Kakao Entertainment, said, "This remarkable achievement was made possible by the three elements of super IP, portfolio, differentiated IPX, and localization," adding, "Seeing the response in Thailand and Taiwan has given us confidence in the global launch of Kakao Webtoon, which will become a new benchmark for webtoons in the global market and create a great impact."
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