WEBTOON Entertainment is running a widened operating loss while its Korean subsidiary installs new co-CEOs and its adaptation pipeline expands through a Crunchyroll and LINE Digital Frontier partnership. The company's Japan market is shrinking even as Korea grows.
WEBTOON Entertainment reported an operating loss of US$15.6 million for the second quarter of 2026, widening from US$8.8 million a year earlier. Revenue fell 2.8% to US$338.5 million, which the company blamed on the weak Korean won and Japanese yen. Currency-adjusted revenue would have grown 5.2%, with Korea up 16% and Japan down 15.6%. Japan is the company's largest market, so the decline there is the quarter's central number.
On October 1, WEBTOON Entertainment's Korean subsidiary Naver Webtoon appointed President Yongsoo Kim and Chief Administrative Officer Gyu-nam Kim as co-CEOs. Yongsoo Kim keeps the WEBTOON Entertainment presidency while overseeing Naver Webtoon operations. Gyu-nam Kim holds both the CAO post and the co-CEO role. Founder Junkoo Kim steps down as Naver Webtoon CEO to focus on his chairman and CEO roles at WEBTOON Entertainment. The company says the structure is meant to strengthen local management and improve coordination with its global operations.
Eight days later, Crunchyroll, HAYATE Inc., and WEBTOON Entertainment subsidiary LINE Digital Frontier announced co-productions of anime adaptations for around 15 select webtoon titles, starting from the development stage. All the titles are available through LINE Digital Frontier's app, including the already announced The Boxer, The Remarried Empress, and Teenage Mercenary. Crunchyroll will stream the resulting anime in select territories. HAYATE is a venture staffed by Aniplex and Crunchyroll employees.
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Oct 9
Crunchyroll, HAYATE Inc., and WEBTOON Entertainment subsidiary LINE Digital Frontier have partnered on co-productions of anime adaptations for around 15 select webtoon titles, starting from the development stage. All the titles are available through LINE Digital Frontier's app, including the already announced The Boxer, The Remarried Empress, and Teenage Mercenary. Crunchyroll will stream the resulting anime in select territories.
Oct 4
WEBTOON Entertainment's Korean subsidiary Naver Webtoon appointed President Yongsoo Kim and Chief Administrative Officer Gyu-nam Kim as co-CEOs on October 1. Yongsoo Kim keeps the WEBTOON Entertainment presidency while overseeing Naver Webtoon operations; Gyu-nam Kim holds both the CAO post and the co-CEO role. Founder Junkoo Kim steps down as Naver Webtoon CEO to focus on his chairman and CEO roles at WEBTOON Entertainment.
Sep 1
WEBTOON Entertainment reported an operating loss of US$15.6 million for the second quarter of 2026, widening from US$8.8 million a year earlier. Revenue fell 2.8% to US$338.5 million, a decline the company blamed on the weak Korean won and Japanese yen. Currency-adjusted revenue would have grown 5.2%, with Korea up 16% and Japan down 15.6%.