A Bibliometric Analysis of Current Research Trends in Korean Webtoons from 2018 to 2025

Aug 27, 2026

Digital media adoption has propelled Webtoons into widespread youth-oriented entertainment, strengthening global reach as online consumption accelerates. This quantitative study examines keyword networks to map research related to Korean Webtoons. Results identify “Webtoon” as the dominant keyword and reveal links to themes including the Korean wave, brands, transmedia storytelling, and comics globalization. These patterns show Webtoons’ shift from digital comics to a global creative industry with effects on marketing, animation, and digital regulation, while transmedia remains an important cross-media bridge.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Digital growth and accessibility

Key supporting factors: internet, business models, and policy

Research focus and keyword-network approach

Keyword network findings

Dominant keywords and thematic connections

Implications for global creative industry and cross-media ecosystems

DOI: [https://doi.org/10.38035/rrj.v8i1](https://doi.org/10.38035/rrj.v8i1)[ ](https://doi.org/10.38035/rrj.v8i1)[https://creativecommons](https://creativecommons) org/licenses/by/4 0/ A Bibliometric Analysis of Current Research Trends in Korean Webtoons from 2018 to 2025 Eko Nur Cahyo1, Darmanto Darmanto2, Anugrah Adi Muliawan3, Ekka Zahra Puspita Dewi4 1Universitas Madani Indonesia, Blitar, Indonesia, [ekonurcahyo29@gmail.com](ekonurcahyo29@gmail.com)[ ](ekonurcahyo29@gmail.com)2Universitas Madani Indonesia, Blitar, Indonesia, [heydarma38@gmail.com](heydarma38@gmail.com)[ ](heydarma38@gmail.com)3Universitas Madani Indonesia, Blitar, Indonesia, [anugrahadimuliawan@gmail.com](anugrahadimuliawan@gmail.com)[ ](anugrahadimuliawan@gmail.com)4Universitas Madani Indonesia, Blitar, Indonesia, [zahradewi@umina.ac.id](zahradewi@umina.ac.id) [Corresponding Author:](Corresponding Author: heydarma38@gmail.com2)[ ](Corresponding Author: heydarma38@gmail.com2)[heydarma38@gmail.com](Corresponding Author: heydarma38@gmail.com2)[2](Corresponding Author: heydarma38@gmail.com2) Abstract: In the digital era, Webtoons have gained remarkable popularity, especially among young people accustomed to online media. This growth supports their global expansion as digital consumption rises. People increasingly prefer online entertainment, making Webtoons widely accessible. This paper is a quantitative research and is intended to examine keyword networks to analyze Webtoon-related studies. Results show “Webtoon” as the most frequent keyword, linked to themes such as Korean wave, brands, transmedia storytelling, and comics globalization. These connections highlight Webtoons’ transformation from digital comics into a global creative industry, influencing marketing, animation, and digital regulation. Although less frequent, transmedia storytelling remains significant, positioning Webtoons within a cross-media ecosystem adapted into films and dramas. Ultimately, Webtoons emerge as both cultural phenomena and creative industry drivers. Keyword: Korean Webtoon, Korean wave, network visualization, keyword analysis. INTRODUCTION As technology and digitalization develop, the comic genre, which can be accessed online, has grown rapidly in recent years. One of the most prominent phenomena in comic publishing is Webtoon. Originally from South Korea, Webtoons have become a popular comic genre worldwide (Faisal et al., 2020) . This research will discuss the current research trends related to Korean (Zhang et al., 2024) . Webtoon is a Korean comic book introduced in 1908 through a woodcut titled Daehan Minho, created by Lee Do Young (Zagita & Sukandar, 2021) . Although the original concept had existed since the early 20th century, the Webtoons we know today only began flourishing in South Korea in the early 2000s (Lynn, 2023) . Webtoons are comics published digitally and can be accessed through online platforms, such as applications or websites. The concept of Webtoon itself is distinct from traditional comics that are usually published in print format and rely more heavily on physical distribution. In the digital age, Webtoons have become very popular among the public, especially among young people familiar with online media technology and consumption. In South Korea, Webtoon is growing rapidly as public interest in Korean dramas and K-Pop, known as‘Korean Wave’ or Hallyu (Jang & Song, 2017) . This phenomenon supports Webtoon’s expansion into the international market, which is expanding as digital media consumption increases. As the digital world grew, media consumption also changed. People today prefer to access entertainment online, making it easier to enjoy various types of content, including Webtoons. The ease of access to internet and technology devices, such as smartphones and tablets drives digital media consumption. By simply downloading the Webtoon application, readers can directly access thousands of comics with various story options. Thi

FAQs

What does the bibliometric analysis focus on in Korean Webtoon studies?

It focuses on examining keyword networks to analyze research trends related to Webtoon studies.

Which keyword appears most frequently in the results?

The keyword “Webtoon” appears as the most frequent, connecting to themes such as the Korean wave, brands, transmedia storytelling, and comics globalization.

How do the findings explain Webtoons’ role beyond digital comics?

The connections indicate Webtoons’ transformation into a global creative industry, influencing areas like marketing and animation, and forming a cross-media ecosystem that includes films and dramas.

Aug 27, 2026

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