Last week WEBTOON announced a whole new slate of creator focused services, including educational opportunities, more support for conventions, and more monetizations options. It’s an ambitious slate to help support creators, many of them just starting their professional careers. WEBTOON made Yongsoo Kim, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global WEBTOON available to answer questions via email about the program, and he was gracious enough to answer at length.
Q: How do you define WEBTOON’s “creator-first” strategy? What are the core creator-first principles guiding the company’s decisions across product, partnerships, and IP?
KIM: Creators are the heart of WEBTOON, and supporting them is core to our business and mission. And our goal is to give Creators an opportunity they can’t find anywhere else. We want to be the best place in the world for Creators to connect with millions of readers, build a global audience, and make money from their work. That means offering a variety of monetization options for every kind of Creator, and offering programs that help Creators feel seen, supported, and empowered to build the careers they dream about.
Q: How is WEBTOON building sustainable career pathways for creators?
KIM: We know that Creators want choice and flexibility, more ways to earn, more ways to connect with audiences, and more ways to refine their craft. That’s exactly what we’re building. We’re expanding monetization options, so Creators have more ways to earn, whether they’re publishing full-time or just getting started. We’re offering more direct support from editorial and educational teams, so that creators can grow as artists and entrepreneurs. That’s why the Creator Residency Program is so important: it’s a two-week immersion in all things webcomics and WEBTOON, where Creators can connect with our teams and other Creators in person, share their experiences, and learn more about the art and business of making webcomics.
Our goal is not just to help Creators make money, it’s to empower Creators to build careers in this industry.
Q: What is WEBTOON’s strategy for deepening its international presence—and its vision for empowering creators globally?
KIM: Creators live everywhere, and so do webcomic fans. We want to meet Creators in their own communities and bring more global visibility to their work. In 2026, we’ll expand on-the-ground engagement in select international markets, particularly regions with creator-rich communities in Europe and Southeast Asia. Just on our English-language platform, we have Creators in Spain, the Caribbean, and across Asia. So as much as we offer regional platforms, our Creators and fans are truly global, and that’s why it’s important for us to spend more time in fan communities in various markets. We’re still mapping out exactly which regions and events we’ll be at in 2026, but there’s a world of webcomic Creators and fandoms out there, and we’re excited to meet more of them at events all over the world.
Across all markets, our goal is the same: to offer Creators the best place in the world to connect with millions of readers, build a global audience, and make money from their work. But that starts with being present, meeting Creators where they are and where their fans are.
Q: Will any of the new Creator Programs be targeted at nurturing underrepresented creators and stories?
KIM: Something we’re really proud of is the range of Creators who come from different communities and reflect diverse experiences. We have incredible communities of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC Creators who have fundamentally transformed comics, which are today more diverse than ever before.
That’s why we develop programs to support every Creator. We want anyone with a story to tell to be able to share their voice, build an audience, and make money on WEBTOON.
Q: What new Creator Programs will be available to WEBTOON and CANVAS creators in 2026—and what new education, resources, and hands-on support are being offered to help creators level up their craft and careers?
KIM: We’re really excited about these programs, each of which is designed to create more connection points between our teams and Creators. Creating comics takes a lot of effort and resilience, and people spend a lot of time alone. That’s why a big part of these programs is bringing people together. We’re officially launching our Creator Residency program in LA. This program is something we piloted throughout 2025. We held multiple residencies this year, inviting 23 Creators, and the feedback across the board has been positive. Creators loved connecting in person, sharing their experiences, and attending educational sessions. It’s a break from their everyday, but in an environment where they can learn new things and connect with other Creators. Another version of this will be our VIP recognition trip to Korea, where Creators will visit our offices, meet with some of our leading Creators in Korea, and see our most mature market.
And there are opportunities that can better support Creators in other ways. Offering more support at conventions means we can make it easier or more comfortable for Creators in the frenzy of big cons. These events can be really exhausting for Creators, so we want to be a positive part of that experience. And then we have things like the redesigned Creator Resource Hub and the first-ever Creator Care digital Open House, that deliver more information and access to our teams.
CANVAS creators will also receive new monetization features and an updated dashboard to better understand their series performance. Across the board, we’re offering more ways for Creators to learn, connect, and find community as they grow.
We’ll have a lot more to share about each part of our new programs as we start to roll them out next year.
Q: How are the new Programs tailored to support creators at different career stages—from emerging talent on CANVAS to established global storytellers? What product tools or platform features are you prioritizing to achieve the goals of the new Creator Programs?
KIM: Each program is intentionally designed to meet Creators exactly where they are. For emerging CANVAS creators, we’re focusing on accessibility: to educational resources, clearer performance insights, and better early-stage support. We want Creators who are just starting out to feel confident and informed.
For rising Creators or those farther along in their careers, programs like the LA Residency offer a chance to deepen their craft and refine their long-term creative direction. These Creators often know the basics, and this will help them evolve.
And for established Creators, the VIP Korea immersion program delivers something different: global connection, cultural insight, and opportunities to engage directly with the birthplace of vertical scroll comics. It’s a way to help top Creators continue expanding their world and influence, and show them the power of the industry we are building together.
Q: Can you tell The Beat more about WEBTOON’s immersive, in-person Creator Residency Program? (Pretend I’m an up-and-coming creator, sell me on applying for the Creator Residency at WEBTOON’s LA HQ.)
KIM: If you’re an Originals creator, the Creator Residency is one of the most powerful opportunities you can step into. It’s a two-week, fully immersive experience at WEBTOON’s LA HQ designed to help refocus your creative vision and level up your storytelling with hands-on support.
Creators get dedicated editorial guidance, workshops led by experts in story development and visual storytelling, and conversations with product, marketing, and partnership teams. Many pilot participants described the residency as transformative because it gave them something creators rarely get: uninterrupted time to grow.
We want Creators to leave with momentum, clarity, and a network of creative talent who stay connected long after the residency ends. We will hold two Creator Residencies in 2026, with applications for the first session open on December 18, 2025. Creators can apply via the Creator Portal.
Q: How will WEBTOON facilitate its creators’ presence at conventions? Will this be fiscal support, or another type of support?
KIM: To help Creators get closer to their fandoms, we will increase our investment in Creators at the biggest North American fan events. Our goal is to bring more Creators to major US conventions where they can meet and grow their fandoms, giving them more on-site visibility and community-building opportunities.
We’ll share more about how we are helping Creators show up at events in 2026.
Q: Can you tell me more about the VIP Creator Recognition Program that selects creators for a trip to Korea? What is the goal of this type of cultural immersion program—and how do you think it will impact WEBTOON’s commercial future, and the careers of the creators selected to attend?
KIM: This trip is meant to celebrate and uplift standout Creators across the WEBTOON ecosystem. We want Creators to see the impact webcomics have had in Korea, where we were founded, and understand firsthand how the format has grown into a global cultural force. For Creators, it’s an inspiring, once-in-a-career opportunity to broaden their creative perspective. And for WEBTOON, it strengthens our global creative ecosystem by bringing Creators closer to the roots of the format and exposing them to new creative possibilities.
We’ll share more details about eligibility in 2026.
Q: Can you provide more information about WEBTOON’s plan to expand its on-the-ground presence at fan conventions in select international markets?
KIM: In 2026, we’re committing to a more active presence at fan conventions in regions where there’s a growing community of webcomic fans. While we’ll share specific dates and conventions early next year, our focus is Europe and Southeast Asia, where we offer regional platforms and have seen strong Creator and fan engagement.
We’re bringing creator-facing programming: meet-ups, portfolio reviews, networking sessions, and more. We want to create real, meaningful points of connection between Creators, fans, and our teams. For many Creators, especially international talent, conventions are important moments for visibility, and we want to help make those opportunities accessible.
Q: How do you think the new monetization system will benefit CANVAS Creators? Can you walk us through the company’s approach to creator compensation — revenue share, advances, bonuses, merchandising, and adaptation deals? What’s one concrete thing creators should expect WEBTOON to roll out in the next year that will materially improve their ability to earn a living?
KIM: This is something we’re really excited about. Creators already have multiple ways to earn with WEBTOON, and we’re planning some changes to CANVAS that can help those Creators specifically. We’ll have more to share early next year, but we’re building new ways to earn and easier access to their earnings.
There’s always going to be a wide range of Creators with goals they set for themselves. Our commitment is to creating multiple paths to monetization for every kind of Creator. That starts with our ad revenue-share model, and from there, Creators can access paid content, Super Likes, merchandising partnerships, and adaptation opportunities across books, animation, film, and TV. We want Creators to have the flexibility to choose the path that best fits their goals as they grow.
Q: How were the new Creator Programs developed—did WEBTOON consult its creators when developing them? What was the response of creators who participated in the pilot program?
KIM: Creator feedback is essential to how we operate, and we take it seriously. When Creators talk, we listen. These initiatives reflect what Creators have told us they want more of – support, access, and opportunities to grow. As the webcomic industry expands, we’re going to continue listening, adapting, and expanding our efforts to serve Creators. We want every Creator to have a clear path to grow their work and reach a global audience.
The Creator Residency pilot in particular was invaluable. We brought 23 creators to our LA HQ in 2025 for workshops, editorial sessions, peer collaboration, and focused creative time. Their feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Creators described it as grounding, creatively refreshing and community-driven. Several told us it was refreshing to step out of their day-to-day routine and production deadlines, giving them the space to think holistically about their work in a new way.
Q: You mentioned in an interview that WEBTOON is developing some AI tools. Are some of those tools being rolled out as part of new Creator Programs? If so, how do you think these tools will help (or hurt) creators?
KIM: Our Creator Programs are 100% human! These are all designed to bring people together and create more connection points.
