Naver WEBTOON announced on August 13 that three major English-language websites illegally distributing webtoons and manga have been successfully taken down through a joint international operation involving South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, INTERPOL, and law enforcement authorities in North Africa. The key operators behind the illicit platforms were also apprehended.
While Naver WEBTOON did not disclose the specific names of the targeted websites, the network was operated by a single group based in North Africa, primarily targeting audiences in the United States, Europe, and other Western markets. Investigations revealed that the portals had illegally scanned, translated, and published over 300 popular webtoons without authorization.
According to analytics data from Similarweb, the three shutdown sites collectively amassed over 130 million annual visits, recording more than 20 million visits in just the preceding three months. Naver WEBTOON’s dedicated Anti-Piracy team had tracked the networks, gathering comprehensive copyright infringement evidence after the operators repeatedly consolidated and rebranded defunct sites under new domains to evade law enforcement.
The company provided vital intelligence to international authorities, sparking the cross-border investigation. These platforms served as primary source hubs for unauthorized scans that frequently trickled down to smaller secondary piracy sites. The arrested operators are currently facing local legal proceedings.
