6 Billion Won in National Funding Secured for “Webtoon IP Advanced Cluster” to Propel Daejeon as a Leading K-Webtoon City

Total Project Cost of 39.94 Billion Won
To Be Built in Dong-gu, Daejeon
Total Floor Area of 4,909 Square Meters (One Basement Floor and Four Above-Ground Floors)

Bird's-eye view (Photo by Daejeon City)

Daejeon City has secured 600 million won in national funding for next year’s design costs for the “Webtoon IP Advanced Cluster Development Project,” which is essential for its goal of becoming a leading “K-Webtoon” city.

Daejeon City overcame the risk of failing to secure budget allocations for two consecutive years in 2024 and 2025, and ultimately obtained national funding for this new project after continued consultations with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the National Assembly.

In 2023, Daejeon City established the project concept, location, and spatial composition direction through the “Webtoon IP Advanced Cluster Basic Planning Study.” In 2024, the project’s economic feasibility was officially recognized with a B/C ratio of 1.08 in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s feasibility study.

According to the feasibility study, the cluster is expected to generate 12.85 billion won in added value and create 266 jobs, injecting significant vitality into the entire webtoon industry in the central region.

The webtoon industry, recognized as one of the eight core sectors of K-Content in national policy, has tremendous growth potential, and the Daejeon and Chungcheong regions are emerging as key hubs for talent development.

Approximately 1,000 graduates are produced annually from 16 webtoon-related academic programs in the region, accounting for about 30% of the national total.

In addition, with the science and technology infrastructure centered around KAIST and the Daedeok Research Complex, as well as video-specialized infrastructure such as the Daejeon Special Video Cluster, the region is seen as an optimal environment for serving as a science and technology testbed for creative fields utilizing advanced technologies like AI and XR, and for expanding webtoons into video content.

Based on these conditions, the Daejeon “Webtoon IP Advanced Cluster” will be established in Dong-gu, Daejeon, with a total project cost of 39.94 billion won and a total floor area of 4,909 square meters (one basement floor and four above-ground floors).

Bird's-eye view (Photo by Daejeon City)

The interior will feature spaces for companies and creators, creative studios, technology support rooms, educational rooms, and a comic cafe. It will operate as a comprehensive hub facility encompassing talent development, creative work, technology support, and startups.

With the securing of national funding, Daejeon City plans to promptly carry out administrative procedures that had been delayed due to lack of resources.

The city is preparing to request the first central investment review in 2026 and will proceed without delay with key procedures such as site acquisition negotiations, budgeting for land compensation, and pre-construction processes, aiming to move smoothly into the design and construction phases.

Jeon Ilhong, Director of Culture, Arts and Tourism at Daejeon City, stated, “The Webtoon IP Advanced Cluster is a core project in the content sector that brings together Daejeon’s abundant webtoon talent and science and video-specialized infrastructure. Having secured national funding with great effort, we will ensure that all administrative procedures proceed smoothly so that Daejeon can establish itself as the most preferred ‘global webtoon city’ for creators and companies.”