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Webtoon Version of Bernard Werber's Empire of the Ants Novel Debuts on Kakao Webtoon

The webtoon adaptation of French author Bernard Werber's bestselling novel Empire of the Ants has debuted on Kakao Webtoon, Kakao Entertainment announced on December 23.

The webtoon, based on Werber's 1991 science fiction and mystery novel, debuted on December 24 through Kakao Webtoon and Kakao Page. The series will run for a total of 250 episodes, with adaptation handled by webtoon creator Yong-hwe Kim.

First published in France in 1991 and translated into Korean in 1993, Empire of the Ants has remained one of Werber's most widely read works. The story interweaves two narratives: a human storyline centered on Jonathan, who uncovers a forbidden secret hidden in his late uncle's basement; and an ant civilization facing attacks from an unknown enemy. The two storylines gradually intersect, revealing a larger mystery.

The webtoon adaptation will reorganize the original structure, placing greater emphasis on world-building and mystery in its early chapters while expanding the characters' emotional arcs through the serialized format.

Werber has expressed optimism about the adaptation. During a press conference held in Seoul in September, he said adapting Empire of the Ants into a webtoon could help introduce the story to younger readers, noting that smartphone-based storytelling plays an important role in encouraging interest in books and narratives.

The webtoon marks the latest effort to expand classic literary works into digital comics formats aimed at new global audiences.

Currently, an official English version of the webtoon is not available.

Source: YNA (Kyung-yoon Kim)