News
World Webtoon Festival Returns to Seoul in October
posted on by Wonhee Cho
The government-led World Webtoon Festival, which drew fan turnout in its debut last year, is set to return for its second edition from October 19 to 22, 2025, in Seoul.
Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), the event aims to promote Korea's status as the birthplace of webtoons. This year's festival will span across Lotte World Mall and Lotte World Adventure, featuring pop-up stores, awards, exhibitions, showcases, and a webtoon job fair.
This year's edition will expand its pop-up footprint with 11 stores, open from October 16 to 26, beyond the core festival dates.
A major highlight will be the 2nd World Webtoon Awards, set for the final day of the festival. The awards will now emphasize international participation, addressing past criticism that the event lacked a truly global scope. Organizers plan to invite prominent international creators and producers of webtoon-based content.
Last year, 10 webtoons — including Solo Leveling, The Remarried Empress, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, and Hellbound — received awards.
The festival will also spotlight cross-media webtoon IPs, with film, game, and animation adaptations showcased in a 300-seat theater at Lotte Cinema World Tower. Additionally, a job fair will connect aspiring webtoon creators with production companies.
