From Webtoons to Short-Form Drama: Lezhin Accelerates Global IP Value Chain with Launch of "Lezhin Snack"
- Lezhin Entertainment Targets Global Short-Form Drama Market with Original IP
- Renowned Korean Directors Lee Joon-ik and Lee Byung-hun Join the Platform's Debut Lineup
- Simultaneous Launch in Korea, the U.S., and Japan on February 4
SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lezhin Entertainment, a leading pioneer of the K-webtoon industry, announced today the official launch of Lezhin Snack, a new global short-form drama platform, marking a major step in the company's strategy to build a comprehensive global IP value chain.
Responding to a Fundamental Shift in Content Consumption
The way audiences consume content is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Long-form content once dominated by television and OTT platforms is rapidly giving way to short-form formats optimized for mobile viewing and daily consumption.
In North America alone, quarterly revenue from short-form drama apps is approaching KRW 500 billion, a trend widely attributed to the explosive growth of China's short-drama market, which surpassed KRW 10 trillion (approximately RMB 50 billion) in 2024 and continues to expand globally.
Against this backdrop, Lezhin Snack is positioned to capture the growing demand for premium short-form storytelling in global markets.
A Deliberate Strategy to Maximize IP Value
Lezhin's entry into the short-form drama market is not a short-term trend play, but a carefully planned extension of its long-standing IP strategy. The company has successfully built and operated paid webtoon platforms both domestically and internationally, establishing stable revenue streams and a highly engaged user base.
Building on this foundation, Lezhin brings a proprietary library of more than 30,000 original IPs—already validated by global fandoms through Lezhin Comics and Bomtoon—into the short-drama ecosystem. Beyond platform operations, Lezhin has actively expanded its IP business across publishing, merchandise, and collaborations with global partners for drama and animation production.
This accumulated expertise in content curation and IP expansion is expected to converge in Lezhin Snack, creating a differentiated and scalable global IP value chain.
A Proven Content Powerhouse with 70 Million Global Users
Lezhin is widely recognized as a driving force behind the growth of the paid webtoon market. As the third-largest player in Korea, the company holds a particularly dominant position in adult-oriented genres such as BL, GL, and HL.
Today, Lezhin operates 10 platforms in eight languages worldwide and has surpassed 70 million cumulative registered users. The quality of its content lineup, diversity of genres, and loyalty of its global fandom have established a strong competitive advantage in international markets.
Leveraging over a decade of platform operations and fandom-driven business know-how, Lezhin plans to accelerate the global success of Lezhin Snack and expand beyond genre-specific audiences to reach users across all age groups.
Simultaneous Launch in Korea, the U.S., and Japan, with the U.S. as a Strategic Hub
Lezhin Snack will launch simultaneously in Korea, the United States, and Japan on February 4. This global rollout is anchored in Lezhin's strong track record in North America. Since launching Lezhin US in 2015, the company has grown its cumulative U.S. user base to over 24 million.
In 2024, Lezhin's North American transaction volume exceeded KRW 20 billion, followed by a projected 40% year-on-year increase to KRW 25 billion in 2025, underscoring sustained and accelerating growth. Strong local fandom engagement has also driven robust demand for merchandise, further strengthening the foundation for Lezhin Snack's U.S. launch.
Building the Next Stage of a Global IP Value Chain
Lezhin Snack's core competitive advantage lies in the combination of data-validated original IP and proven production expertise. With access to over 30,000 proprietary IPs and extensive user data accumulated across its platforms, Lezhin can selectively adapt high-potential stories optimized for the short-drama format.
To elevate production quality and challenge perceptions of short-form content, acclaimed directors Lee Joon-ik (The King and the Clown) and Lee Byung-hun (Extreme Job) are participating in the platform's initial productions. Their involvement is expected to bring cinematic storytelling depth and immersive narrative structures to short-form drama.
Among the launch titles, Director Lee Byung-hun's original work My Child's Father Is My Male Best Friend and All-Boys High School, adapted from Lezhin Comics' top-ranked IP, are highlighted as flagship series with strong global appeal.
Lezhin Snack is designed not only as a content platform but as a strategic testing ground. By leveraging the shorter production lead time of short-form dramas, Lezhin can rapidly validate IP performance, feed insights back into mid- to large-scale content development, and further expand successful IPs into animation, games, and other formats.
A Lezhin spokesperson stated, "Lezhin Snack marks the starting point of our next phase of global IP expansion. By continuously extending the value of our original IPs, we aim to evolve into a truly global IP company that delivers enjoyment to audiences worldwide."
Media Contact
Ha Ju-young, Manager
Corporate Planning Team, Lezhin Entertainment Co., Ltd.
Email: [email protected]
SOURCE Lezhin Entertainment
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