Daily Active Users Decrease by 8.8%
Women Under 20 Drop Sharply by 24.2%
Naver Webtoon faced a direct hit from a boycott after passing the first round of its own contest with a webtoon called 'Isekai Pongpongnam.' The boycott, led mainly by women in their 20s, caused a sharp decline in daily active users (DAU).
According to data released on the 1st by the app analytics service Mobile Index, Naver Webtoon's daily active users (DAU) on the 25th of last month stood at 4,204,488. This is about an 8.8% (405,397 users) decrease compared to 4,609,885 recorded on the 4th of last month, before the misogyny controversy surrounding the webtoon 'Isekai Pongpongnam' arose. The decline was particularly notable among women aged 20 and under. DAU among this group dropped sharply by 24.2% (398,173 users), from 1,644,543 on the 3rd of last month to 1,246,370 on the 28th, about three weeks later.
The Naver Webtoon controversy spread after the amateur webtoon 'Isekai Pongpongnam' passed the first screening in the 2024 Greatest Ground Contest at the end of last month. The webtoon depicts a 39-year-old man who is betrayed by his wife and loses his assets during their divorce process, then crosses over to another world. The title uses the term 'Pongpongnam,' which refers to a man who marries a woman based solely on economic conditions, after she had been dating several men.
This led to criticism from female readers accusing Naver Webtoon of tolerating content that promotes misogyny. The boycott unfolded through refunding Naver Webtoon Cookies (electronic currency for viewing webtoons) or withdrawing membership. The controversy intensified when allegations arose that Naver Webtoon mocked the boycott. On the 16th, Naver Webtoon promoted the webtoon 'Childhood Friend Complex' via its official X account using meme phrases such as "Boycotting Childhood Friend Complex. Buying like wildfire, buying as hot as fire," which was interpreted as mocking the recent boycott.
In response to the controversy, Naver Webtoon issued an official apology, stating it was "a mistake in operating the advertising campaign" and sincerely apologized "to the author of the work who may have been troubled by this issue and to everyone who felt uncomfortable." However, regarding 'Isekai Pongpongnam,' Naver Webtoon stated that since it is an amateur webtoon submitted to the contest and considering freedom of expression, it is difficult for them to make the webtoon private.
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