Naver Webtoon Introduces Stricter Hate Speech Guidelines After Controversy – News

In response to criticism of hateful content, Naver Webtoon It will introduce its revised content and community guidelines to prevent discriminatory or offensive material, announced on May 29. The updated rules will take effect on June 30.

This move follows the opposition of the amateur network The extraordinary man Peng PangThe allegedly contained misogynistic content and sparked widespread boycott last year. The word “Pongpong Man” has a misogynistic meaning in Korea. Pongpong is a term used to wash detergents, in this case it refers to a woman with a so-called “mixed” past that she hides and ends up as a kind and innocent man. The idea is that men “clean” women like detergent. This derogatory meaning makes the network channel a title The extraordinary man Peng Pang It has caused controversy from the beginning and caused a strong rebound. Webtoon passed its first round of open competition in October 2024, and then attracted a welcome amid public outrage.

Before, naver Webtoon Apply only the operational rules to serialized works and amateur network to under its “Best Challenge” and “Challenge” sections. The platform will now monitor all user-generated content, including reader comments and creator homepage posts.

Under the new policy, accounts responsible for posting inappropriate content, whether Webtoon creators or commenters, may face restrictions. Additionally, if content related to hatred can cause financial damage to Naver Webtoonthe company may seek compensation.

The updated guide defines what constitutes “inappropriate content”, including:

• Content that discriminates or violence based on race, nationality, region, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion, occupation or disease
• Use hate symbols in context
• Description of traumatic events that support, satirize or glorify personal experiences
• Graphic descriptions of real-life tragedies may disturb readers

When the changes are announced, Naver Webtoon New apology, although no mention The extraordinary man Peng Pang Apologize directly.

Last year’s controversy led to boycott campaigns and even offline protests, including wreaths of condolences outside Naver’s headquarters and protest trucks. In response, the company formed an external advisory committee in December and revised its policy after investigating 150 creators and 1,000 users.

This update marks one of the most comprehensive efforts of the major website platforms to address hateful content and rebuild trust with their communities.

Source: Afterer Web Tone,,,,, Then (Kyung-Yoon Kim)