K-Comics Make Inroads with North American Buyers and Fans

KOCCA Hosts K-Story&Comics in America

• Five-day business and exhibition event held in Los Angeles starting July 30
• 10 Korean content companies held export consultations worth $15.7 million
• Strong interest from global players like Netflix, Alcon, Inklore, and Tokyopop in K-Comics
• Over 25,000 local visitors attended the K-Comics exhibition held alongside KCON LA 2025

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) successfully hosted K-Story&Comics in America in Los Angeles from July 30 to August 3. The event delivered impressive results in both export deals and public engagement.

Now in its second year as a combined B2B and B2C platform, K-Story&Comics aims to boost the global presence of Korean comics. The program was designed to support Korean content creators by providing networking opportunities with global buyers and connecting directly with fans abroad.

• Meaningful Business Talks with North American Buyers: Export Deals Worth $15.7 million

The B2B portion of the event took place from July 30 to August 1 at the Hudson Loft in downtown LA, bringing together representatives from around 74 North American companies and 10 Korean content companies. A total of 231 business meetings were held, with estimated export deals reaching approximately $15.7 million.

Major U.S. entertainment and publishing companies in attendance included Alcon Entertainment, Lionsgate, Tomorrow Studios, Inklore and Tokyopop.

From Korea, 10 comics companies—including Donutpeach, DCCENT, RIDI, Vivravo, YLAB EARTH, KENAZ, KW Books, TakeOne Studio, Torycoms, and Toyou's Dream—participated in the event to actively discuss collaboration opportunities in areas such as joint planning, investment, and production.

• Exclusive pitches to global platforms like Netflix and strategic partnerships formed with local production studios

As part of the B2B program, RIDI and KW Books gave exclusive pitches to global platforms including Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Falcon's Beyond. These sessions opened the door to potential video adaptations and market expansion in North America.

Meanwhile, six other companies—DCCENT, Vivravo, YLAB EARTH, Torycoms, and Toyou's Dream—presented their flagship titles and business strategies to an audience of over 50 key buyers, laying the groundwork for future collaborations.

One of the notable outcomes was Vivravo signing a strategic partnership with local studio Toon Pocket to localize and distribute audio dramas based on Korean comic IPs.

• K-Comics Take the Spotlight at KCON LA 2025—25,000 Visitors Experience Korean Stories

From August 1 to 3, the K-Story&Comics exhibition booth at the Los Angeles Convention Center attracted visitors over 25,000 visitors during KCON LA 2025. Fans had the chance to explore mobile-based comics in a unique offline setting.

Popular works on display included Debut or Die! (KW Books), Study Group (YLAB), and Heavy Smoking Spy (RIDI). Interactive attractions like an AI photo booth that turned users into comic characters, along with merch giveaways, added to the excitement. Appearances by KCON LA 2025 artists P1Harmony and izna further energized the crowd.

Looking ahead, KOCCA plans to take K-Story&Comics to Japan (September), Taiwan region (October), and Thailand (December), and will also participate in the Frankfurt Book Fair in October to further support the global expansion of Korean comics.

SOURCE Korea Creative Content Agency