- Starting in June in the Philippines, exhibition and experience events will be organized in collaboration with Korean Cultural Centers throughout Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore) and in Europe (Belgium, Italy)

- Exhibition and experience spaces will showcase popular local works, aiming to establish a groundwork for the spread of K-comics and webtoons

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister YU In Chon, MCST) together with the Korea Creative Content Agency will initiate the “K-Comics World Tour” across six countries[1]  in Southeast Asia and Europe, spanning Vietnam, Indonesia, Belgium, Italy, and Singapore. The tour will commence in the Philippines on June 21.

Despite the current relatively small size of the comics and webtoons market[2] in Southeast Asia compared to other regions, it is anticipated to expand in demand for Korean comics and webtoons in the future, driven by the region’s longstanding interest in the Korean Wave. On the other hand, Europe is also a market that is expected to grow by expanding webtoon consumption among the existing base of Japanese “manga” consumers. Therefore, the exhibition aims to raise awareness and expand the consumption base for webtoons in both regions, thereby helping to pave the way for other Korean webtoon service companies to enter overseas markets, similar to Kakao Piccoma in Japan and WEBTOON Entertainment in the United States.

From June 21 to August 10, 2024, “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” and “The Red Sleeve” will be exhibited in the Philippines, a country known for its popularity in the romance genre

The events will be co-organized with the overseas Korean Cultural Centers located in each respective country. In the Philippines, where the K-Comics World Tour starts, the exhibition will be held in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Center Philippines. The exhibition will feature representative works from the romantic comedy and drama genres, including titles like “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” and “The Red Sleeve,” reflecting the local popularity of these genres.

In particular, “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” was adapted into a drama in the Philippines in March this year, achieving great success at the box office. It topped the online video service platform “Viu” for three consecutive weeks. The exhibition will further captivate visitors by recreating iconic spaces from the webtoon, such as the vice president’s office and the secretary’s office, in real life. Webtoon artist CHO Hye Seung, the illustrator of “The Red Sleeve,” will personally visit the event site and lead a story concert and cartoon drawing workshop for local attendees. The exhibition will be held until August 10 on the first floor of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M) in Manila.

The other five countries will also choose webtoon works popular in each country, tailored to local preferences for K-content, and create exhibition and experience spaces showcasing these selections. In addition to exhibitions and experience events, each overseas Korean Cultural Center will offer various programs such as a webtoon contest for locals,  a “story concert” between local and Korean artists, business exchanges between local and Korean comics companies, and webtoon training sessions (workshops) for aspiring students.  

A policy official from the MCST stated, “Except for a few countries, global comics readers are more familiar with printed comics than with webtoons. Just as BTS and BLACKPINK have expanded the reach of K-pop through global performances, we hope that the K-Comics World Tour will assist Korean companies in entering overseas markets by expanding the audience for webtoons in Asia and Europe.”