Webtoon Artist's Income Triples After Piracy Site Shutdown

Webtoon world, the fight against piracy is yielding more concrete results every day. A webtoon artist named Hyunwook recently announced that the shutdown of a piracy site unexpectedly increased his income. According to the artist, even though his work was not on the closed site, his paid reading revenues nearly tripled.

Hyunwook said: "Since my work wasn't on that piracy site, I didn't expect much impact. But my paid income increased about three times." This statement reveals how piracy sites indirectly affect not only the works uploaded to that site but the entire industry. Piracy sites distract readers, negatively impacting subscriptions and episode purchases on official platforms.

The South Korea-based webtoon industry has taken significant steps against piracy in recent years. Major platforms like Naver Webtoon and Kakao Page are known for legal processes and site-blocking lawsuits. The piracy site that was shut down last month is estimated to have had millions of monthly unique visitors. Experts say such closures have a positive effect on the entire ecosystem.

This news is seen as a promising sign not only for Hyunwook but for the industry as a whole. Small and medium-sized webtoon artists are the most affected by piracy. The closure of a piracy site can increase authors' income by directing readers' attention to official platforms, even if their works were not directly on that site. This once again proves how critical the fight against copyright infringement is.

What are the next steps? The South Korean government and major platforms plan to intensify operations against piracy sites through international cooperation. Concrete data from artists like Hyunwook could accelerate the industry's anti-piracy investments. Readers can also support creators and enjoy a high-quality, uninterrupted experience by consuming content through official channels.