K-Pop — Entry No. 0141
웹툰
webtoon · noun
웹툰
webtoon
[WEB-toon]
nounbeginner
Meaning
A digital comic format originating in South Korea, designed to be read vertically by scrolling on mobile devices. Webtoons have become a major pipeline for K-drama content, with beloved series regularly adapted into hit television shows and films.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
Many iconic K-dramas began as webtoons — ‘True Beauty’ (여신강림) by artist Yaongyi was adapted into a 2020 drama starring Moon Ga-young and ASTRO’s Cha Eun-woo. ‘Itaewon Class’ and ‘All of Us Are Dead’ also originated as webtoons before becoming global Netflix hits. BTS launched their own webtoon series ‘7Fates: CHAKHO’ in 2022 as part of the BTS Universe, complete with an original OST.
Example Sentences
이 드라마는 웹툰 원작이에요.
i deurama-neun webtoon wonjak-ieyo.
This drama is based on a webtoon. (Said with excitement when you discover your favorite webtoon got adapted)
요즘 어떤 웹툰 봐요?
yojeum eotteon webtoon bwayo?
What webtoon are you reading lately? (Casual icebreaker in any K-content fan community)
웹툰 작가가 되고 싶어요.
webtoon jakga-ga doego sipeoyo.
I want to become a webtoon artist. (A dream increasingly common among international fans inspired by the industry’s global reach)
⚠️ Don’t use webtoon when…
Fans often use ‘webtoon’ and ‘manhwa’ interchangeably, but manhwa refers to Korean comics broadly including print, while webtoon specifically means the digital vertical-scroll format. Also, don’t assume every popular webtoon will become a drama — only a small fraction are ever produced.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: True Beauty (여신강림, 2020) — the show opens by mirroring the webtoon’s premise directly, with the lead character using online makeup tutorials to reinvent herself, a nod visible only to fans who read the source material.
- K-Pop: BTS — Stay Alive (7Fates: CHAKHO OST, produced by SUGA feat. Jungkook, 2022)
💡 Did You Know? South Korea’s webtoon industry earns over $1 billion annually and inspired global platforms like LINE Webtoon and WEBTOON, which now have tens of millions of readers outside Korea.
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.