Naver and Kakao Webtoons Compete Globally: "Looking for Creators"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Naver and Kakao Webtoon, accelerating their expansion into the global market, have begun securing next-generation intellectual property (IP).

According to industry sources on the 6th, Naver Webtoon launched the "2022 Naver Webtoon Grand Contest" starting from the 1st. This contest, divided into two rounds, aims to discover talented webtoon creators who will lead the future of the global story-tech platform Naver Webtoon.

Participants in the first round, which runs until today, are required to submit three episodes of their manuscript, with the option to submit additional materials such as synopses and character sheets. The final winners will be announced on July 25, based on creativity, popularity, and completeness.

The total prize money for the webtoon category is 580 million KRW, with 40 winning works selected. For each round, the awards include ▲Grand Prize (2 works, 50 million KRW each), ▲Excellence Award (3 works, 30 million KRW each), ▲Merit Award (5 works, 10 million KRW each), and ▲Encouragement Award (10 works, 5 million KRW each). Winners will receive prize money along with opportunities for official serialization on Naver Webtoon and management support.

Naver Webtoon's "Grand Contest" began in 2019 and is now in its fourth year. Anyone can apply regardless of being a rookie or established creator, with a focus on diversity in themes, subjects, and genres, discovering unique content and original creators every year. The second round of submissions for the 2022 Grand Contest webtoon category will be held from September 5 to 12.

Kakao Entertainment is partnering with Kakao Piccoma to hold the "Global Raid Kakao Webtoon Contest" to discover "Action, Martial Arts, and Fantasy Webtoons" that will conquer the global market. Not only Kakao Webtoon in Korea but also Kakao Webtoon's global platform covering Southeast Asia, North America, and ASEAN, as well as Piccoma, Kakao Piccoma's comprehensive digital comics platform, will prioritize official serialization.

This contest is the second genre-specialized contest following the previous "Adult Romance Contest," designed to discover webtoons that will captivate readers worldwide. Kakao Entertainment is advancing as a global content leader through aggressive investments in North America and ASEAN regions. It operates the webtoon platform "Kakao Webtoon," optimized for the global environment, in Thailand, Taiwan, and Indonesia, and recently expanded its influence to North America?the world's second-largest comics market and largest novel market?by merging the webtoon platform Tapas and the web novel platform Radish.

For the five winning works, prizes will be awarded as follows: ▲1st place (1 work) prize of 100 million KRW, ▲2nd place (1 work) prize of 20 million KRW, and ▲3rd place (3 works) prizes of 10 million KRW each. The first-place winner will be guaranteed official serialization on Kakao Webtoon in Korea and Kakao Piccoma's comprehensive digital comics platform Piccoma (Japan), with priority consideration for serialization on Kakao Entertainment's global platforms (Kakao Webtoon in Thailand and Taiwan) and Piccoma (France).