[VIDEO] The rise of webtoons means fat pay checks, but only for a few

Webtoonists in Korea appear to be making a fortune with their works as the popularity of webtoons continues to grow across the globe.

In 2019, webtoonist Kian84, famed for his "Fashion King" (2011-2013) series, bought a 4.6 billion won ($3.8 million) building in southern Seoul. Yaongi, the author of "True Beauty" (2018-), bought a McLaren 570S, a sports car that starts at $195,000, in 2020.

Some webtoonists are seen as celebrities, appearing on TV programs from time to time with social media channels followed by millions of subscribers.

The profession has become so esteemed that in 2020, “webtoonist” was one of the top 10 dream jobs of elementary school children in Korea.

There was a time when people used to ask what webtoons even were. Now people are asking how to become a webtoonist.

So what has happened over the last 10 years to make being a webtoonist such a sought-after job?

BY JEON TAE-GYU [jeon.taegyu@joongang.co.kr]