"This Area's Number One is Me"… Intense Rivalry Between Naver Webtoon and Kakao Webtoon

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] 'France's No.1 comic market vs Thailand's No.1 sales'

As Naver Webtoon and Kakao Webtoon fiercely compete for global webtoon market share, their promotional battles to announce their own achievements are also intensifying.

According to industry sources on the 12th, Kakao Entertainment announced on the 9th, citing a survey by app analytics firm App Annie, that Kakao Webtoon ranked first in sales among webtoon apps in Thailand for the month of August. This achievement came just three months after its launch in Thailand. It also topped the download rankings on both major app markets, Google Play and Apple App Store.

Kakao Webtoon stated, "Thailand is regarded as the hub of the Southeast Asian content market," adding, "With 42 million users utilizing 3G and 4G, Thailand's online market potential is huge, and it has long served as a bridge to promote Hallyu culture in the Southeast Asian region."

To supply high-quality content steadily, Kakao Webtoon's Thailand subsidiary has 25 in-house translators and is conducting systematic localization work. Currently, it releases about 20 new webtoons every month and plans to open 200 new titles by the end of this year.

Not to be outdone, Naver Webtoon announced its strong performance in France the next day, on the 10th. Citing App Annie's survey results, it revealed that it ranked first in both sales and downloads in the comics category on Google Play France.

Naver Webtoon is rapidly growing in the French market by translating Korean webtoon content and providing services, while also discovering local content and nurturing amateur artists through its CANVAS system. Their strategy is to build a global webtoon ecosystem through thorough localization.

Naver Webtoon said, "France boasts the second-largest comic market in Europe after Germany, making it an important market for building a global webtoon ecosystem," adding, "We will continue to present competitive content through thorough localization strategies and actively expand into the European market, including France."

The rivalry between the two companies over global market share is not new. On June 13, Naver announced that its subsidiary Naver Webtoon surpassed 12 million monthly active users (MAU) in Indonesia, Thailand, and Taiwan, ranking first.

This was a rebuttal to Kakao Webtoon's announcement the previous day that it ranked first in the comics app category in the app markets of Thailand and Taiwan. At that time, Kakao Webtoon based its claim on new download numbers.

Both companies have expressed active investment intentions to secure high-quality IPs, and the competition to dominate the global webtoon market is expected to intensify further. A Naver Webtoon official said, "Through Naver's IP value chain that connects web novels, webtoons, and videos, the hottest content in the global entertainment field will emerge."

Kakao Entertainment also stated, "We have invested 1.5 trillion KRW in IP development and possess the largest number of 8,500 original IPs in Korea," adding, "We plan to accelerate efforts this year so that these IPs can expand Kakao Entertainment's global influence across all languages and regions."