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| NHN's Pocket Comics shows a screen capture for its French service. / Screen captured from Pocket Comics |
Korean online webtoon service providers have launched their European operations in France as a test bed to target the European content market, industry data showed Monday.
Naver Webtoon, an online platform for digital comics run by Korea's leading portal operator Naver, announced a plan in March to establish its European unit, Webtoon EU, in France within the first half.
The company started a French-language service in 2019, as well as a Spanish one the same year and entered Germany in 2022.
Kakao Entertainment, a subsidiary of Korean internet and entertainment giant Kakao, entered the French web comics market through Kakao Piccoma, its Japan-based webtoon subscription service.
It set up the European unit of Piccoma Europe in France in September last year and officially started the French service in March.
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| NHN's Pocket Comics shows a screen capture for its French service. Screen captured from Pocket Comics |
NHN, a Korean online game developer and entertainment firm, launched its English-language online web cartoon service, Pocket Comics, in France in January.
Insiders said the Korean webtoon publishers have chosen France as the country serves as a foothold for global companies trying to tap into the European digital content market thanks to fast-growing demand there.
Moreover, it is easier for Korean companies to start their European service in France as French people have a great interest in Korean culture, such as K-pop and TV series.
"French people are willing to purchase albums, books and DVDs that they really like," an official from NHN said. "If they like webtoons, they don't hesitate to pay." (Yonhap)
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