Why Are Korean Translation Services Necessary For Webtoons?
Global Korean webtoon popularity is increasing. In a study that was performed in several nations in 2021, 40% of the participants said that webcomics are highly popular. Therefore, Korean translation services are in need to spread webtoon material to foreign nations.
Let’s investigate some fresh webtoon data and go deeper into the value of Korean translation services for the K-webtoon market in some nations.
1. Introduction Of The Webtoon
1.1. How Do We Have Webtoon?
Webtoons (웹툰), combined from the term “website” and “cartoon”, are colored digital comics with Korean origins and presented on the website. In other words, it is the South Korean equivalent of manga.
The global webtoon readership is rapidly growing, turning the webtoon into a “syndrome” for the present generation. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, Itaewon Class, and True Beauty are just a few examples of K-webtoons that were adapted with Korean translation services.
Millions of fans are hooked by these ground-breaking comics thanks to their captivating stories, compelling characters, and stunning artwork.
The ecology of the mobile Internet gave rise to Webtoon. They were acknowledged as stand-alone stories in a “snack-culture” style in the early 2000s. The rise of the Korean comics business is now fueled by the relatively straightforward and linear distribution of webtoons by Korean platform providers and easily accessible materials.
1.2. Webtoon Market Overview
Naver Webtoon is a webtoon application, with an estimated 9.56 million users as of May 2022, making it the most popular mobile app in South Korea for webtoons or web novels. Another popular webtoon platform in South Korea is Kakao Page.
These two Korean internet portals, which apply English to Korean translation services, and vice versa, in thousands of slice-of-life stories in a variety of genres (including romance, comedy, action, fantasy, horror, etc.), probably expended a sizable amount of money to go worldwide.
But according to the number of published South Korean webtoon series in 2020, Bomtoon, which has about 850 series, had the most published works without any overlap. Other well-known sites like Lezhin Comics, Naver Webtoon, and Kakao Page could not come close to that; in terms of published series, all of them lacked over one hundred works.
You might want to read these articles:
- Everything You Need to Know About Korean Packaging Translation Services
- The Complete Guide to Korean Translation Services
- Professional Korean Translation Services For Your Global Reach
2. How Korean Webtoon Expands To Other Countries With Professional Translation Services
As we previously stated, the K-webtoon market’s popularity spread internationally and drew millions of viewers to its unique plotlines and gorgeous typography.
Malaysia ranked first in a 2021 study on the popularity of Korean webtoons globally, with around 60% of respondents indicating that they were interested in webtoons. The next three nations where webtoons were deemed popular were Vietnam (53.8%), Taiwan (51.3%), and India (51.3%), in that order.
In order to be available to readers abroad, a number of webtoon sites have expanded their services to foreign nations with Korean translation services at suitable costs.
2.1. Korean Translation Services for Taiwan Webtoon
The Korean webtoon sector expanded by almost 68% in Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia compared to the previous year, and the figures are rising and breaking records on an annual basis. Recently, Naver Webtoon has more than 13 million monthly active users across Southeast Asian nations, particularly in the aforementioned three nations.
Every year, the size of the global webtoon market increases, and with time, the younger generation’s attention is drawn more and more to the industry. A report from Mirae Asset Daewoo shows that 61% of webtoon viewers in Taiwan are under the age of 24.
In 2014, Naver Webtoon began offering its services in Taiwan, where it now holds the No. 4 spot in the country’s webtoon market. In contrast, Kakao Webtoon rose to prominence in Taiwan as the most downloaded Korean digital comics app.
2.2. Korean Translation Services for Malaysian Webtoon
In Malaysia, these are the top 5 webcomics and comics apps: Bilibili Comics, Line Webtoon, MangaToon, Tapas, and Manga Plus by SHUEISHA.
The Korean Manhwa Content Agency launched “ON, WEBTOON,” a continuous online exhibition, in Malaysia and Japan on February 11th, 2022. For fans of K-webtoons, this is the first online exhibition of Korean webtoons to be hosted in Malaysia. The show featured five well-known webtoons, including Hellbound, Navillera, True Beauty, Nevertheless, and The Uncanny Counter, all of which have been supported with Korean translation services.
Everyone in the globe has access to “ON, WEBTOON,” but only Malaysian and Japanese viewers may attend offline and hybrid events and conversation programs all year long.
2.3. Korean Translation Services for Indian Webtoon
India has experienced a rise in the popularity of K-webtoons in recent years. The first webtoon app, Kross Komics, was released in 2019 as the Korean webtoon business began to grow in India.
The portal offers Korean translation services into Telugu, Hindi, and English for webcomics. The platform was introduced in India by South Korean investment banker and Kross Pictures producer Hyunwoo Thomas Kim.
Then, the first mobile webtoon platform in India, “TOONSUTRA,” was released in April 2021 by Graphic India, the top superhero character developer in Indian entertainment. The app features a variety of genres, including superheroes, mythology, adventure, fantasy, and science fiction. Additionally, the site will support the up-and-coming creators in India, helping them develop and share their tales with the globe.
2.4. Korean Translation Services for Vietnamese Webtoon
Vietnamese consumers are becoming more and more familiar with K-webtoons. The Comico webtoon platform was run by NHN, a multinational IT corporation with a portfolio of IT-based businesses that includes gaming, payments, entertainment, etc., to support translations in nations including Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Vinatoon is the first webtoon service provider in Vietnam that Mobikor started in April 2017 with the goal of boosting the market for webtoons in Vietnam through various corporate partnerships. As of that point, the business had given 63 digital comics in the Korean style to Comicola, the largest cartoon studio in Vietnam.
Mobikor has also partnered with Payone, a provider of digital financial transaction solution development services, to offer webtoon services to Vietnamese workers residing in Korea. These two businesses hope to connect with Vinanatoon so that Vietnamese-language webcomics may be read in Korea via this webcomics payment service.
3. Reach More Webtoon Audiences with GTE Localize
In general, as South Korea continues to improve the competitiveness of its content globally, the market for webcomics is predicted to expand at an astonishing rate. Previously, only Korean content producers could create webtoons; today, any artist from anywhere in the globe may create and post their own webtoons.
It should go without saying that effective Korean translation services for webtoons are essential to success. And high-quality Korean website translation services are becoming more critical to ensure international readers can enjoy popular works just as much as locals.
To localize the webtoon globally, you might need support from professional translation agencies and GTE Localize is one of the top choices. With native Korean linguists, committed localization experts, and cost-effective prices, we can offer outstanding Korean translation services for your webtoon.
Moreover, you can find the best website localization solution at GTE Localize since we have an in-depth knowledge of the language and culture of the target country, supporting you to create a major impression on the worldwide market. Our language experts translate your website’s content, layout, and functionality while also making alterations and adaptations to conform to the cultural preferences of your target audience. Additionally, we offer keyword translation to increase your website’s organic traffic.
So, get in touch with us immediately to receive the most reasonable quote and other advice from our dedicated consultants for your Korean webtoon translation projects.
