Government to Break Webtoon Genre Imbalance... 4 Billion Won Invested in 250 Diversity Comics and More

Two-Track Initiative by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency: Production Support and Early-Stage Planning Contests
Diversity Comics: 140 Works to Receive 19 Million Won Each with Close Consulting from Specialized Management Companies
Up to 8 Million Won in Prizes for 110 Early-Stage Planning Projects... Applications Accepted from March 3

The government will invest a budget of 4 billion won this year to break the genre imbalance in the webtoon market and expand the creative ecosystem. Through a customized support system that covers everything from idea discovery to production and distribution, it aims to strengthen the self-sustainability of diversity comics.

On the 24th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency announced the project plan titled "Support for the Production of Diversity Comics and Public Contest for Planning at the Early Stage of Creation."

Depending on the stage of creation, the project is divided into two tracks: an early-stage planning contest and full-scale production support. Under the "Diversity Comics Production Support" program, 140 projects will be carefully selected, an increase of 30% from the previous year, and each will receive an allocation of 19 million won. The support will not be limited to simple cash injections. Five specialized management companies will be separately selected to take charge of everything from advancing the works to intellectual property (IP) commercialization and overseas distribution, providing close, hands-on consulting.

In the "Public Contest for Planning Comics and Webtoons at the Early Stage of Creation," which supports the initial planning phase, 110 projects will be selected, and each will receive a prize of 6 million won. Among these, twenty outstanding works selected through evaluation will receive an additional 2 million won each. Any creator aged 19 or older can participate. Once selected, participants must submit results equivalent to three episodes (at least 50 scroll cuts per episode or 15 pages or more) before the evaluation.

Creators and companies wishing to participate can submit their applications via Google Forms and the Inaradoum system from March 3 to March 19. An official from the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency said, "We will build a solid foundation where non-mainstream themes and various genres can grow in a balanced way."