Survey covers 7 areas, 61 indicators including company revenues, workforce data, overseas expansion, more

Image via The Ministry of Data and Statistics website

© The Ministry of Data and Statistics

According to the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) and industry sources on November 9, the Webtoon Industry Status Survey recently received approval from the Ministry of Data and Statistics, marking the first time that data on the webtoon industry will be managed as part of the government’s official statistical system.

The survey covers seven areas and 61 indicators, including company revenues, workforce data, overseas expansion, creators’ working conditions, and contract practices. All domestic webtoon-related businesses—including one-person operations—will be included, even if they have closed or suspended operations, provided they were active for at least one month during the survey year.

KOCCA has conducted the webtoon industry survey annually since 2017, but until now it had not been recognized as an official government statistic. The 2025 edition, currently underway, will be the first to receive national approval. While other institutions, such as the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency and various public foundations, have published industry reports, those were not designated as official national statistics.

Nationally approved statistics are authorized by the head of the Ministry of Data and Statistics and are used in government policymaking, evaluation, and socioeconomic research. Officials said the inclusion of webtoon industry data reflects the government’s intention to develop more precise policies for the rapidly evolving sector.

“The webtoon industry operates through a unique network of contracts among platforms, CPs [content providers], and creators,” said Jong-seob Jeon, Senior Researcher at KOCCA’s Content Industry Policy Research Center. “Traditional business or workforce surveys could not fully capture this reality, so there was a clear need for a specialized statistical framework.”

Jeon added that the survey will “serve as a reliable foundation for policies supporting the growth, global expansion, and creative environment of the webtoon industry,” calling the new designation “a significant milestone for ensuring sustainable development in the sector.”

Source: YNA (Kyung-yoon Kim)