▲ Author Lee Woo-hyuk of the novel series "The Legend of Exorcism" speaks during the Licensing Con 2025 event held at COEX in Seoul’s Gangnam District on the afternoon of July 17, 2025. Hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency, the event was organized to discuss strategies and visions for expanding the reach of Korean content intellectual property (IP). (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, July 18 (Yonhap) -- "Some say the IP has been revived through the new animation, but in truth, 'The Legend of Exorcism' was never a dead IP," said author Lee Woo-hyuk (60), creator of the best-selling fantasy novel series "The Legend of Exorcism" ("Toemarok"), at Licensing Con 2025 held Wednesday at COEX in Seoul.

 

"The animation may have materialized for the first time now, but over the years I’ve received three or four proposals to turn 'The Legend of Exorcism' into animation," Lee said. The film version, released in February this year, attracted over 500,000 viewers despite its relatively modest budget.

 

Lee explained that he had long considered animation the right medium to portray the rich and complex universe of his novels. "I even tried writing a script myself at one point. But previous production companies lacked an understanding of the original story, which is why those projects fell through," he said.

 

He added, "When Locus Studio approached me with an animation proposal, I was skeptical at first. But the more we talked, the more I saw that they had a strong vision and truly understood the source material, which changed my mind."

 

 

▲ This still of "The Legend of Exorcism" ("Toemarok") is provided by Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

Stressing the importance of respecting the original work, Lee said, "This isn’t about my pride. If the source is mishandled without proper understanding, the adaptation will fail. Respecting the original isn’t for me, but for the integrity of the new creation."

 

Director Kim Dong-chul, who helmed the animated version of "The Legend of Exorcism," shared during the event, "We treated the novel as our bible. Our principle was to never stray from the original content. We even excluded some of the author’s comments if they weren’t found in the books."

 

First serialized between 1993 and 2001, "The Legend of Exorcism" blends elements of martial arts, religion, exorcism, and mythology into a unique fantasy world, earning its reputation as the origin of K-occult literature.

 

The recent animated film adaptation received positive reviews from longtime fans for its high-quality 3D visuals and faithful adaptation of the characters and plot structure. A sequel is already in the works.

 

Lee also revealed that a game adaptation is currently under contract and that a live-action variety show is being planned. "The concept for the variety show is still in the planning stage, but production is confirmed," he said.

 

"My only goal is to create something worth watching in return for everyone’s support," Lee said. "It may take years to create, but only a few hours to watch—so making something truly worthwhile is my ultimate objective."

 

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