One of the largest Spanish-speaking webtoon pirating sites shuts down as Korean companies crack down on illegal distribution
Published: 27 Apr. 2026, 11:15
Updated: 27 Apr. 2026, 11:30
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- LEE JIAN
- [email protected]
![Logo of Webtoon Entertainment [WEBTOON ENTERTAINMENT]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/27/57cd380e-138b-477b-b3ae-10df35d8ce8d.jpg)
Logo of Webtoon Entertainment [WEBTOON ENTERTAINMENT]
A Spanish court has shut down one of the largest illegal webtoon sites in the Spanish-speaking world, marking the first time that Korean rights holders have successfully pursued legal action against piracy under a foreign jurisdiction, according to Naver Webtoon on Monday.
The site, which recorded approximately 86 million visits per month as of March 2025, had been illegally distributing translated Korean webtoons. The content industry estimates the losses caused by the site and its affiliates to be worth tens of billions of won. The case is now awaiting formal criminal proceedings.
The shutdown was the result of a joint effort among Naver Webtoon, the Copyright Overseas Promotion Association (COA) and major domestic webtoon platforms, including Kakao Entertainment, Lezhin Entertainment, Ridi, Kidari Studio, Toomics and Topco Media. These domestic platforms, which hold the rights to the webtoons, also conducted their own investigations to identify the site's operators in Spain. The COA then worked closely with local investigative authorities and courts to secure the site's closure.
Naver Webtoon has been increasing its efforts to protect creators' earnings by preventing their works from being illegally distributed. For example, the company has been advancing ToonRadar, its AI-based antipiracy technology, to block unauthorized copies online from spreading, delaying any leaks. Naver Webtoon has also introduced a global simultaneous release strategy, which eliminates the time difference between Korean and international publication schedules that has long given piracy sites a window to operate.
The results have been tangible. Works that adopted a global simultaneous release saw paid transaction amounts rise by up to 200 percent or more compared to figures recorded before the policy's introduction.
Naver Webtoon said that it plans to continue working with the COA and domestic companies to strengthen protective measures for creative content on a global scale.
BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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