210,000 Attend Webtoon Festival... Average Purchase Per Person Reaches 45,000 Won

Retailers Including Lotte Department Store Join In
"Expanding Beyond Online into the Consumer Industry"

World Webtoon Festival Venue

Webtoons are expanding beyond online content into the offline consumer industry.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency announced on October 30 that approximately 210,000 people attended the "2025 World Webtoon Festival," which was held from October 19 to 22 in the Lotte Town area of Jamsil, Seoul.

During the event, the average purchase amount per person at the pop-up store was tallied at 45,000 won. The highest single transaction amounted to 3.4 million won.

This event, now in its second year, was expanded in both duration and scale compared to last year. Twelve companies, including Naver Webtoon, YLAB, and Redice Studio, participated in the pop-up store, presenting thirty-five types of merchandise. The range of consumption broadened from desserts such as cookies and beverages to character goods.

Lotte Department Store became the first retailer to support a webtoon event. The entire shopping mall was transformed into a webtoon festival zone with elevator and floor railing wraps, as well as dedicated information booths. The Korea Creative Content Agency stated, "The direct participation of a retailer signifies that the market recognizes the industrial potential of webtoons."

World Webtoon Festival Venue

An exhibition themed "The Past, Present, and Future of Webtoons" featured over 200 types of intellectual property. Seven organizations, including Naver Webtoon, Netmarble, and Wacom, operated experiential programs. At Lotte Cinema, a stage was set up to share examples of industry expansion, while the ice rink hosted drawing shows and autograph sessions.

Yu Hyunseok, Acting President of the Korea Creative Content Agency, stated, "Webtoons are no longer just a genre, but a core intellectual property expanding across the entire industry," adding, "We will support every stage from creation to distribution and commercialization to enhance global competitiveness."