Fans or thieves? Webtoon piracy makes artists question global readers

Rena, a webtoon artist in her 20s whose work is available on global platforms, used to see overseas comments as proof that her stories had crossed borders.

These days, they make her uneasy.

“I used to be genuinely happy whenever I saw comments from overseas readers,” said Rena, who asked to be identified with a pseudonym.

“But now, when someone talks about my work, I can't help wondering whether they read it through an illegal site.” For creators like Rena, overseas piracy is not only a question ...