Google has joined forces with South Korean creators in a strategic move to tap into the rapidly growing global webtoon industry. This collaboration has sparked expectations that other major Big Tech companies may follow suit to expand their presence in this sector. The partnership between Google Play and the Korea Webtoon Industry Association (KWIA) has taken a significant step forward with the signing of a cooperation deal between KWIA and global digital comics platform Dashtoon.
As part of the agreement, KWIA will supply digital comics to the US and India through Dashtoon, while the platform will introduce its generative artificial intelligence tool for webtoon production, known as Dashtoon Studio, to South Korean creators. KWIA Chairman Seo Bum-gang expressed optimism about the Indian market, stating that it will become a treasure for the webtoon industry.
Dashtoon, headquartered in San Francisco with offices in London and Bengaluru, utilizes AI technology to create webtoons and distributes digital comics through its own platform. With the support of Google Play, South Korean webtoons will have the opportunity to make inroads into India, the world’s most populous country. This move is expected to provide South Korean creators with a global platform, bypassing the need to rely solely on domestic giants such as Naver Corp. and Kakao Corp., which dominate the online comics market.
Lalith Gudipati, Chief Operating Officer of Dashtoon, acknowledged the challenges that South Korean creators may face in the Indian market due to its linguistic and cultural diversity. However, Dashtoon is committed to providing support and facilitating the expansion of South Korean webtoons in India.
The South Korean webtoon industry is actively seeking to expand its overseas businesses as the local market becomes saturated. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency, the percentage of webtoon readers who enjoyed digital comics at least once a week decreased from 69% in 2022 to 62.8% last year. Webtoon Entertainment Inc. is also expanding its global presence.