The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's logo / Yonhap
Authorities have arrested a Vietnamese couple over allegations that they illegally translated and distributed Korean digital comics, known as webtoons, worldwide, South Korea's culture ministry announced Friday.
Working with the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security shut down three websites based in the country that the couple operated.
The husband and wife had allegedly translated Korean webtoons into English and distributed them without authorization to users across Asia, North America and Europe since January 2023, the ministry said. They are believed to have generated profits through online advertising and donations from users.
Authorities said around 14,700 webtoon titles were illegally circulated via the three sites, with Korean content accounting for about 70 percent. The platforms drew a combined 1.1 billion annual visits, with estimated damages reaching 207.2 billion won ($136 million).
