Korea Manhwa Contents Agency Supports Manhwa Export Routes Blocked by COVID-19

Call for Exported Works Translation and Overseas Promotion Support Project... Total Scale of 500 Million KRW

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The Korea Manhwa Contents Agency is launching the '2020 2nd Export Work Translation Support Project' and the '2020 Overseas Manhwa Promotion Support Project' to revitalize the manhwa content industry, which has been stagnated due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

These support projects, promoted together with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, aim to assist small and medium-sized manhwa content companies struggling to enter overseas markets amid difficulties in holding domestic and international export consultations and exhibitions due to COVID-19, and to create breakthroughs in overseas marketing, with a total support budget of 500 million KRW.

The export work translation support project, which started in 2016, helps overseas expansion by supporting the translation and re-production of excellent Korean manhwa. After selecting 45 supported projects through the first round of applications earlier this year, the second round will support translation and overseas expansion for up to 22 works.

The support targets Korean manhwa content businesses, and selected projects will receive up to 8.5 million KRW per project. The agency plans to enhance the quality of translation results by collaborating with professional translation institutions such as the Translation and Interpretation Research Institutes of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Ewha Womans University.

The 2018 export translation supported work Honey Blood (by Inarae) is currently serialized on more than 10 overseas platforms including China, North America, France, Japan, and Indonesia, achieving a remarkable 50 billion views on Kuaikan, China’s largest webtoon platform.

The 2018 supported work Mosquito War (by Jung Jihoon) was serialized in five countries including Japan, Thailand, India, and China, and is currently being developed into a mobile game and VR toon.

The 2017 supported work I Was Born as the King's Daughter (original by Bichu, illustrated by Kim Lekna) ranked first in paid webtoons on QQ.com in China and ComiCola in Vietnam, and is serialized in Japan, France, and the United States. In addition, various excellent works have been exported to dozens of countries and introduced to local readers.

This year’s overseas manhwa promotion support project supports demand-driven promotional activities for manhwa content companies facing restrictions on face-to-face business due to the spread of COVID-19. Any small and medium-sized manhwa content company or individual entrepreneur preparing promotions to pioneer overseas market channels and local marketing can apply.

A total of 10 projects will be selected, and selected companies can autonomously establish and apply for promotion plans such as ▲production of promotional videos using manhwa IP ▲production of promotional materials such as books and goods based on manhwa ▲translation for global services to market overseas.

Support of up to 30 million KRW per company is available, and after project completion, submission of a manhwa IP export contract is mandatory.

Applications for the export work translation support project are accepted until the 17th of next month, and for the overseas manhwa promotion support project until the 22nd, via the e-Naradoom site (www.gosims.go.kr).

Shin Jongcheol, President of the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, stated, "Korean manhwa is leading the frame changes and growth in major global manhwa markets such as the United States, Japan, and France," and added, "We will continue to provide support to break through the export barriers caused by COVID-19."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.