NHN Halted Uploads of French-Language Titles in January
Kakao Piccoma Closed Its European Subsidiary Last Year
Local Platforms Struggle Amid Slowing Global Webtoon Growth

NHN, which operates a global webtoon platform, is reportedly considering suspending its webtoon services in France. Although France has long been considered the most promising European market for comics due to its high consumption levels, Korean platforms are gradually pulling out amid sluggish growth in the global webtoon industry following the end of the pandemic. Last year, Kakao Piccoma withdrew from the French market by shutting down its European subsidiary based in the country.

France, Europe's Largest Comic Market, Sees Webtoon Growth Slowdown — Korean Platforms Scale Back

According to the IT industry on the 8th, NHN’s global webtoon platform Pocket Comics has halted uploads of new content in France since early this year. NHN stated, “We’ve temporarily suspended updates for Pocket Comics France to comprehensively review the platform’s operational system and overall efficiency.” Industry insiders note that this move is the result of sluggish growth in the European market and rising concerns over whether high investment costs can be recovered. NHN is reportedly reviewing multiple scenarios, including a complete withdrawal from the French market.

France has long been considered Europe’s largest comic book market, with Japanese manga already deeply embedded in the culture. A 2023 French reading report indicated that 48% of French people read comics. NHN launched Pocket Comics in France in January 2022, targeting women in their 20s and 30s, and even topped local webtoon app revenue rankings at one point. However, with the French comics market still dominated by print volumes similar in form to graphic novels, webtoon growth has stagnated, and Korean content has struggled to match local expectations, prompting NHN to consider exiting the market.

Complete Exit from Southeast Asia Last Year

NHN began its overseas expansion in 2013 with the launch of NHN Comico in Japan, followed by an expansion into Southeast Asia—including Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam—in 2014. In 2020, NHN launched Pocket Comics, the English-language version of Comico, in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K., where it initially ranked first or second in Google Play’s Books category.

In 2022, NHN rolled out German and French versions of Pocket Comics as part of its European expansion, but plans for further growth in the region were ultimately shelved.

The wave of market exits aligns with slowing global demand for webtoons. The explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic has normalized, while competition from platforms like YouTube, short-form videos, and OTT services has intensified. As a result, since 2022, the webtoon industry’s global momentum has slowed.

NHN has responded by exiting low-margin regions and focusing on select markets. It began with its withdrawal from Vietnam in July 2022, followed by the sale of its Thailand business in 2023 and its full exit from Taiwan in 2024, marking a complete retreat from Southeast Asia. In Europe, Pocket Comics Germany shut down in 2023.

NHN is not alone in struggling in global markets. Kakao Piccoma, Kakao's webtoon subsidiary, pulled out of France even earlier, dissolving its European branch in 2023. At the time, Kakao stated, “The market has grown more slowly than expected,” explaining that the company chose to focus on core regions instead. While France remains a major player in Europe, its overall revenue contribution still lags behind South Korea and Japan. This has led Korean companies to conclude that continuing operations there lacks business viability.

Naver Webtoon and Kakao Piccoma Shift Focus to Japan

In light of these developments, webtoon companies are redirecting efforts toward more profitable regions such as Japan and North America. Naver Webtoon saw a strong performance in Japan, which led global revenue growth. In 2024, its revenue from Japan reached USD 648.2 million—up 25.8% year-over-year—making Japan its largest market for the first time, surpassing Korea.

Growth was particularly strong for Naver's LINE Manga service. According to mobile analytics firm Data.ai, LINE Manga ranked No. 1 in global comic and novel app revenue across Apple’s App Store and Google Play in the second half of 2023.

To further improve profitability, companies are actively targeting new users. In North America, now considered a key emerging market, Naver launched a “Webtoon Video Contest” in January, leveraging TikTok and YouTube Shorts for viral marketing. Contestants were encouraged to produce short videos under 59 seconds based on popular series such as Mercenary Enrollment and Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.

Naver is also expanding global second-tier content businesses using webtoon-based intellectual property (IP), with webtoon-based dramas and animations actively being developed in North America.

Kakao Piccoma has likewise posted strong results in Japan. Since its launch in April 2016, Piccoma has provided over 160,000 titles, including e-books and webtoons produced in Korea, Japan, and China.

According to Data.ai, Piccoma ranked No. 1 in consumer spending among all apps in the Japanese app market in 2024. Its estimated consumer spend was USD 497 million, making it Japan’s top-grossing app for both 2023 and 2024—including games. When excluding games, Piccoma has maintained the No. 1 spot for five consecutive years since 2020.