Fan-powered webtoon translation service to close after 6 years
Webtoon Translate, the official fan translation platform operated under Naver subsidiary Webtoon Entertainment, will cease operations on Nov. 26.
New user registration has been disabled since Sept. 24, and the platform will shut down later this month, with access to the site permanently discontinued. According to Naver, all translation data will be deleted once the service ends and will not be retained or archived. Former users of Webtoon Translate who wish to preserve their work have been advised to download their data from the website before the closure.
Webtoon attributed the discontinuation of the service to the platform’s "unsustainable" operations.
"Over the years, the Fan Translation Service has connected passionate fans who volunteered their time and talent to make series accessible across languages. However, maintaining and evolving this platform has become increasingly unsustainable," said a Webtoon official.
"As we look to the future, we believe it is the right time to sunset this service and prioritize investments in areas where we can have the greatest impact," the official added.
Officially launched in 2019 following a beta rollout in 2015, Webtoon Translate was a fan-driven translation platform that allowed users to translate Naver webtoon comics into other languages. The platform supported translations in roughly 30 languages, including English, Chinese and Japanese, for a slew of popular Naver Webtoon titles such as “Tower of God” and “Kubera.”
The initiative was designed to make Webtoon’s vast catalog of Korean content more accessible to international audiences while fostering a translation community centered around global webtoon fans.
Beyond its fan-driven aspect, the service also served as a pipeline for emerging webtoon translators, who could have their work featured on Webtoon's Fan Translation category following an internal review. Skilled contributors to Webtoon Translate were also given the opportunity to work as official translators for Webtoon.
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