▲ South Korean Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young (2nd from R) speaks during the third meeting of the Webtoon Division under the Culture and Arts Policy Advisory Committee at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul on May 28, 2026, discussing measures to promote the global expansion of K-webtoons. Photo courtesy of the ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, May 29 (Yonhap) -- Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young on Friday vowed to relentlessly pursue copyright infringement crimes both at home and abroad, saying the government will "track down and arrest" offenders to the end.

 

Choi made the remarks during the third meeting of the Webtoon Division under the Culture and Arts Policy Advisory Committee held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in central Seoul the previous day, referring to the operator of the illegal webtoon site "Newtoki," who acquired Japanese citizenship.

 

"We will pursue this matter to the very end no matter what," Choi said.

 

▲ South Korean Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young (front, L) speaks during the third meeting of the Webtoon Division under the Culture and Arts Policy Advisory Committee at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul on May 28, 2026, discussing measures to promote the global expansion of K-webtoons. Photo courtesy of the ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

"Newtoki" is South Korea's largest illegal webtoon distribution site. Its operator, originally a Korean national, obtained Japanese citizenship in 2022.

 

Korean cartoonists and webtoon creators have sent an open letter to the Japanese government calling for the operator's extradition to South Korea, but little progress has been made so far.

 

"The government, which holds public authority, should never turn a blind eye while witnessing criminal acts," Choi said. "If it is a crime infringing on the copyrights of our citizens, then it remains a criminal act no matter how someone changes nationality."

 

To arrest the operator, cooperation from Japanese investigative authorities and extradition procedures would be required.

 

Choi also said the government plans to strengthen the recently introduced emergency blocking and access restriction system targeting copyright-infringing websites, which took effect on May 11.

 

"After the emergency blocking measures took effect on May 11, illegal sites such as 'Newtoki' shut down, and legal subscriber numbers for platforms like Naver Webtoon reportedly surged," he said. "But loopholes in the system remain too wide, allowing illegal sites to continue operating while evading authorities."

 

He added that tracking copyright crimes has become increasingly difficult as offenders exploit advanced information technology.

 

"Completely eradicating them may be impossible, but we will pursue and stop them in whatever form they take," he said.

 

Choi also pledged to significantly increase next year's budget to support the overseas expansion of Korean webtoons, saying the industry has already expanded well beyond the domestic market.

 

He further promised support measures for emerging artists facing difficulties as artificial intelligence technologies become increasingly used in webtoon production.

 

The meeting was attended by key figures from the webtoon industry, including Kim Shin, chairman of the Korea Webtoon Industry Association; Shin Il-sook, former head of the Korea Cartoonists Association; webtoon creators Cho Kwang-jin and Won Soo-yeon; Choi Won-young, chief executive of D&C Media; and Kim Byung-soo, head of the Federation of Regional Cartoon and Webtoon Associations.

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]