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French Novel Empire of the Ants to Be Adapted Into Korean Webtoon

French author Bernard Werber's bestselling novel Empire of the Ants will be reimagined as a webtoon, marking the first time the globally acclaimed IP has been adapted into the format.

At a press conference in Seoul on September 3, Werber said, “Webtoons are an important medium to reach younger generations through smartphones. I'm delighted that Empire of the Ants can meet new readers in this way.” He praised the vertical-scroll format after previewing the first two episodes, describing the experience as “like watching a film.”

First published in France in 1991, Empire of the Ants juxtaposes human and ant societies to explore survival, evolution, and social structures. The novel was translated into Korean in 1993 and has remained a steady seller. Given the novel's iconic status, producers emphasized that the adaptation process involved extensive preparation.

The webtoon version will span approximately 150 episodes over four to five years, with simultaneous serialization planned for Korea and France as early as November 2025. Distribution is still being finalized, though French readers will be able to access the series via local platform Ono. According to Kenaz CEO Woo-jae Lee, discussions are underway with more than 100 platforms across 30 countries.

Yong-hwe Kim will draw the series, while Kenaz will oversee production and distribution.

Source: YNA (Jae-ha Hwang)