Issue Focus

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) has announced a rigorous campaign against illegal webtoon sites, addressing the ongoing issues of copyright infringement. Partnering with the Korea Copyright Protection Agency (KCOPA), private webtoon associations, platform companies, and webtoon artists, the ministry plans to target operators of illegal sites and major uploaders.
Starting September 12, reports of illegal site operators and major uploaders can be submitted via 'COPY112,' a KCOPA-operated reporting portal. The agency will prioritize monitoring these illegal sites, blocking access, and issuing warning letters based on the reports received. The MCST will be responsible for carrying out related investigations.
Informants providing leads on suspects will be eligible for accolades, such as the Minister of Culture's award or the KCOPA President's award, with additional rewards from platform companies. Furthermore, the MCST intends to create a webtoon in collaboration with the Korea Manhwa Association to showcase the apprehension of copyright violators, promoting it on KCOPA's blog and social media channels.