NHN to Shut Down Webtoon Platforms in Korea, North America, and France; Japan Service to Continue
Kim Jisun
stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr | 2025-06-17 03:21:04
Photo = NHN
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] NHN Corp. (KRX: 181710) announced on June 16 that it will discontinue its webtoon platform services in Korea, North America, and France. The company’s Japanese platform, Comico, will remain operational.
According to the announcement, the Comico service in Korea and the Pocket Comics platforms in English-speaking countries and France will officially cease operations on October 31, 2025.
NHN first entered the webtoon business in 2013, with a focus on the Japanese market. It later expanded its services to Korea, Southeast Asia, North America, and in 2022, to France. However, the company began scaling back in 2022 by selling off its Vietnamese Comico operations, followed by the divestment of its Thai subsidiary in 2023. The latest move marks a full retreat from all webtoon markets outside Japan, representing a significant downsizing of NHN’s platform business.
The company stated that it will provide refunds for unused coins (in-app currency) as well as for any purchased content acquired within the past year.
Although NHN is withdrawing from the platform business in Korea, it plans to continue focusing on webtoon content production and distribution through its subsidiary, NHN Comico Korea.
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