Naver Webtoon, in Partnership with Interpol and South Korea's MCST, Shuts Down Three Pirate Webtoon and Manga Sites

An important step has been taken in the fight against online pirated content. Naver Webtoon, working with South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and Interpol, has shut down three English-language pirate webtoon and manga sites. These sites reportedly received more than 130 million visits per year in total. According to an Anime News Network report published on August 14, 2026, the operation shows that international cooperation is strengthening, especially against pirate platforms broadcasting in English.

The targeted sites were offering readers both Korean-produced online comics (webtoon/manhwa) and Japanese comics (manga) with unauthorized translations. While such platforms usually stay afloat through advertising and donation revenue, they directly harm creators' royalty income. This intervention by Naver Webtoon and the Korean government is seen as part of a broader strategy to protect the globally growing Korean comics ecosystem.

This development is not just about the closure of three sites. Naver Webtoon is a giant digital comics platform that has enabled the globalization of many popular series such as Tower of God, The God of High School, Sweet Home, and Hellbound. The anime and drama adaptations of these series are also attracting worldwide attention. The annual visit volume of pirate sites exceeding 130 million reveals that rights holders are facing potentially huge revenue losses.

The cooperation between South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Interpol is of great importance due to the cross-border nature of intellectual property crimes. In such operations, besides shutting down sites, methods such as reducing search engine visibility and suspending domain names are also used. It is expected that such interventions will continue against similar pirate platforms in the coming period.

For readers, the most correct path is to follow webtoon and manga series on official platforms. Operations against pirate sites are critical so that creators can receive the reward for their labor and new seasons of beloved series can be produced. As the fight against piracy strengthens, it is expected that content creators will achieve a more sustainable revenue model and the industry will continue to grow healthily.