SEOUL, KOREA - The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has announced a plan to make the cartoon industry an internationally competitive business with 1 trillion won in sales revenue and US$100 million of exports by 2018. In 2013, the industry made sales revenue of 757 billion won and exports of $18 million.

 

According to the mid- and long-term plans for nurturing the cartoon industry on May 28, the ministry will pay up to 6 million won for each comic artist for livelihood support even when the cartoonist has no work.

 

The ministry also came up with plans to invigorate the cartoon market. As a way to revitalize the comic publication industry, outstanding comic books will be chosen for kids, teens, and adults to be placed at public libraries. In order to support webtoons, which are cartoons published online, more webtoon platforms will be provided to increase opportunities for talented cartoon artists. Some of the platforms will be serviced in multiple languages to help overseas introduction. The translation support for cartoons will also be given as well.

 

Based on the webtoons, derivative contents such as mobile dramas, plays, and characters can be created. The culture ministry will also provide support for those derivative works, and prop up the production of cartoons incorporated with electronic technology and multimedia.