WEBTOON Entertainment Inc.’s LINE Digital Frontier to invest 10 billion yen over three years in original content originating from Japan

LINE Digital Frontier Corporation, WEBTOON Entertainment Inc.'s (NASDAQ: WBTN) Japanese subsidiary that operates LINE MANGA and ebookjapan, has announced its decision to invest a total of 10 billion yen (approximately $63M USD) over the next three years to expand the development of and investment in original content originating from Japan.

LINE Digital Frontier plans to invest a total of 10 billion yen over the next three years to expand the development of and investment in original content originating from Japan. This initiative includes strengthening in-house production, collaborating with partner companies, and providing support to individual creators. The company will actively invest in measures designed to produce original Japanese content, discover new talent, and empower individual creators-efforts that will encompass investments in production studios, co-productions with publishers and external studios, and the organization of manga awards in partnership with a diverse range of entities.

Japan is the world's largest manga market and home to a wealth of talented creators. Within this landscape, LINE Digital Frontier, which operates LINE MANGA (the most-downloaded manga app in Japan*1) and ebookjapan (one of the country's largest e-book services), serves as a critical hub for WEBTOON Entertainment.

Through this investment, LINE Digital Frontier will vigorously drive the development of content that contributes to the further growth of the manga market. Furthermore, by leveraging the pipeline of WEBTOON Entertainment -which operates platforms across the globe-the company will bring exceptional content originating from Japan to a worldwide audience.

As part of its efforts to expand content globally, WEBTOON Entertainment launched the "Global Drop" project this September, which enables the simultaneous worldwide release of both new titles and popular ongoing series. Plans are already in place to include works from Japan in this project, starting with The Assassin Hero's Astra Path, produced by No. 9 Inc. A variety of titles from various partner companies are also scheduled for simultaneous global release.

Furthermore, there are plans to introduce "WEBTOON CANVAS"-a UGC platform operated by WEBTOON Entertainment-to the Japanese market by 2027. WEBTOON CANVAS is an open platform for individual creators, currently available in seven languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Indonesian, Thai, and Traditional Chinese. Creators can publish their work in multiple languages, allowing them to reach readers across languages and regional boundaries. Additionally, creators who meet specific criteria are eligible to receive a share of revenue, such as earnings from advertisements.

Leveraging the global IP pipeline held by WEBTOON Entertainment and this new investment, LINE Digital Frontier-together with our exceptional partners and creators-will deliver original Japanese content to readers around the world. We warmly welcome partners and creators who wish to join us in generating new value and bringing outstanding content from Japan to a global audience.

"Japanese manga possesses the power to move people's hearts, transcending national and linguistic boundaries. Over the next three years, we will invest a total of 10 billion yen to strengthen the development of-and increase investment in-original Japanese content. Furthermore, by leveraging the global network of the WEBTOON Entertainment group, we will deliver works originating from Japan to readers all around the world," said Hiroshi Mori, Co-Representative Director of LINE Digital Frontier.

"As Co-Representative Director of LINE Digital Frontier and President of WEBTOON Entertainment, I am fully committed to my responsibilities and will do my utmost to ensure that Japan's world-class content successfully expands into the global market, " said Yongsoo Kim, President of WEBTOON Entertainment and Co-Representative Director of LINE Digital Frontier.

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About LINE Digital Frontier
As part of WEBTOON Entertainment Inc., home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms with approximately 155 million active users across more than 150 countries and regions and a creator community of 27 million*2, LINE Digital Frontier Corporation operates LINE MANGA, the No. 1 ranked digital comic service in Japan by cumulative downloads*1 -allowing users to easily enjoy manga on smartphones and tablets-as well as ebookjapan, one of Japan's largest digital book sales services, and bookfan, an online sales service for print books. Committed to "creating the future of manga," the company strives to deliver exceptional value to users, creators, and partner companies alike.

*1: Cumulative downloads for domestic manga apps (App IQ: Books & Comics) (January 2014 - July 2026) / Combined total for iOS & Google Play / Source: Sensor Tower
*2: As of the year ended December 31, 2025

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward‐looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to LINE Digital Frontier's planned investment; global content expansion; and other statements that are not historical in nature. Any information that is not historical in nature is subject to change. These statements are made on the basis of views and assumptions of WEBTOON Entertainment's management regarding future events and business performance as of the time the statements are made. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such differences may result from actions taken by WEBTOON Entertainment as well as from developments beyond WEBTOON Entertainment's control. Additional factors are set forth under "Risk Factors" in WEBTOON Entertainment's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. WEBTOON Entertainment undertakes no obligation to update these statements, except as required by law.