Neville webcomicSouth Korea’s largest webtoon platform and U.S.-listed company has recently found itself in the spotlight for two very different reasons: a partnership with Disney that boosted its global profile, and growing criticism of alleged unfair labor practices during South Korea’s annual National Assembly audit.
Anime News Network interviewed Shin-a Ha, the head of Anime News Network webcomic The Creators Alliance testified as a witness during the audit, discussing the allegations and the power imbalance between platforms and their creators.
Unpaid labor charges
At the heart of the dispute is what the union calls “unpaid labour”. according to a webcomic Creator candidates reported their experiences to the union, and creators selected through company competitions typically need to produce three to eight full episodes before signing a formal contract. During this time, they are also required to refine materials such as storylines and character designs that were originally submitted for the competition, without paying any fees.
The union said the revision period could last from a few months to as long as three years. One artist told ANN, “I went through dozens of revisions. Editors kept interfering, and even a year after making the deal with my producer, a new supervisor came in and told me to start over.”
Shin-a Ha said some aspiring artists have given up on their careers after years of unpaid work and financial hardship. “There are cases where creators receive no feedback for months after submitting a script, or even begin serializing without receiving a formal contract,” she said.
Creators not affiliated with the alliance had similar experiences. An artist who works across multiple platforms told ANN, “It’s very common to not be compensated for the development process after winning a competition. Three years is an extreme case, but there are definitely cases like this.”
The union argued that even after signing a contract, creators still faced restrictive conditions. The union provided ANN with part of Naver’s content webcomic contract, which it claims allows the company to retain some intellectual property in perpetuity and use the work for artificial intelligence training without explicit consent.
It also reportedly includes a clause requiring creators to obtain prior approval from the platform before collaborating with other agencies or engaging in creative activities elsewhere. The union added that Naver webcomic When creators give paid lectures or media appearances, they receive a portion of the compensation.
Monopoly power and market dependence
navelha says webcomicIt is able to impose such terms because of its near-monopoly position in South Korea. webcomic industry. “This is equivalent to Netflix or Youtube “In the video industry,” she said. “For creators, to be successful, they must publish content on Naver webcomic is actually necessary. “
Some creators even quit cocoa webcomic Participated in the competition after being discovered by Naver webcomic. Result, Neville webcomic Much determines the payment structure, production schedule and episode length.
A veteran artist with 10 years of experience told ANN, “Naver basically controls the market. Competitions on other platforms don’t have much impact because most creators simply ignore them. If you want to become a professional creator, you have no real choice.”
Global revenue and transparency issues
Union representatives also called global readers’ attention to the issue. A creator currently serializing on Naver webcomic An anonymous source said, “Even with global success, we see little return. In some markets, Naver accounts for 90% of overseas revenue, sometimes up to 70%. Many creators accept it because 10% is still enough to make ends meet. But there is no transparency in how rankings, promotions or ad spend are managed. We have no idea how many people are reading our work for free, nor what the actual metrics are. We just accept what they give us.”
The creators continue, “Naver benefited from our creativity while withholding business information and refusing to improve its revenue sharing model. The CEO received approximately $30 million in cash and stock options following the IPO, while no creators received any similar incentives.”
Neville webcomicresponse
In response to the accusations, Naver webcomic Representatives attending the National Assembly stated:
“As far as I know, there is currently no non-payment of royalties at the company level. If the situation pointed out after a thorough review is indeed true, we will work hard to improve it. Among various contracts, there are contracts that creators choose to sign. Because creators are the most important in Naver.” webcomicwe will work harder to ensure that creators can create in a better environment. We are continuing our efforts to create a creator-centered environment and will work hard to create a better creative environment. “
Although Naver webcomic Continuing to expand its global reach and push the boundaries of digital storytelling, the ongoing debate exposes the growing gap between the platform’s commercial success and the creators who sustain it.
