Government and Interpol Jointly Crack Down on Illegal Webtoon Sites

Focusing on Arresting Operators Through International Joint Investigation... Advertising Posting Personnel Also Targeted

The Copyright Special Judicial Police Division of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency, and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) announced on the 31st that they will conduct a joint crackdown on copyright infringement illegal sites until October. They plan to continue international cooperative investigations even after the crackdown period ends.

Since 2018, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Police Agency have conducted joint crackdowns, shutting down fifty sites and arresting fifty-one related individuals. This year, they will focus intensive investigations on thirty sites, mainly targeting webtoons and other areas where market damage has increased. A Ministry of Culture official explained, "Illegal sites host servers overseas and illegally distribute copyrighted works not only in our country but also worldwide, so urgent investigations are needed," adding, "We plan to arrest operators in cooperation with investigative agencies from various countries centered on Interpol."

This crackdown is the first international cooperative investigation promoted after the business agreement with Interpol in April. They will jointly investigate major overseas illegal sites causing global damage and focus on arresting operators even after the crackdown period ends. Additionally, they will arrest individuals related to illegal sites that contribute to operating funds through advertisements, such as sexual video materials and gambling sites, and proceed with follow-up procedures such as confiscation of criminal proceeds.

A National Investigation Headquarters official pledged, "We will act as a bridge between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Interpol to ensure smooth international cooperation investigations, and actively cooperate with investigative agencies of Interpol member countries worldwide to eradicate related crimes."

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