Hallyu Cartoons

 

With webtoons accelerating their growth, some companies are distributing sensational cartoons using e-mail, messaging apps, and social media in order to attract subscribers. As a result, teenagers are being indiscriminately exposed to adult content.

Webtoons, which emerged as the country’s portal site Daum launched a service called “the world inside cartoons” in 2003, saw the number of subscribers rapidly increasing, in tandem with the distribution of smartphones and tablet PCs. Webtoons have become a unique genre in Korea.

Webtons are widely used in movies and games as well. In fact, 37 animations and 10 games are based on webtoons that have appeared on Naver. The popular webtoon “Secretly Greatly” published on Daum was also made into a movie, attracting around 7 million viewers. Naver and Daum are trying to enter overseas markets with webtoons.

But X-rated webtoons are side effects of the rapid growth of the local webtoon market. The phenomenon is related to the widespread use of smartphones. In the past, people only saw webtoons intended for those 19 years old and over in a comics shop or alone at home. Now, anyone can get access to those webtoons at home, at the office, or even in public spaces, thanks to smartphones.

As an illustration, one company supplies about 120 webtoons on the Internet and through apps, and 65 of them are X-rated. The firm offers Japanese X-rated animations as well.

In principle, teenagers cannot watch adult content on web sites. Nevertheless, it is possible to be a member with an e-mail address, and get confirmed as an adult by entering one's name, gender, and date of birth. Thus, teens can become a member under the name of their parent or sibling. They can also watch adult content through social networking services like Facebook.

One company, which recently received government funding aimed at nurturing the webtoon industry, reportedly provides Japanese X-rated animations. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has decided to support the cartoons and animation industries, including webtoons, by creating a fund worth 25 billion won (US$24 million) this year.

Portal sites such as Naver and Daum rarely provide X-rated webtoons. Instead, some firms are offering those webtoons through apps and web sites. As a result, an increasing number of voices are calling for a measure that bans the indiscriminate exposure of sensational webtoons to teenagers via smartphones.

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