WEBTOON Entertainment reported a much tighter loss for the first quarter of 2026, posting an operating deficit of **US $8.03 million**—a roughly 70 % improvement from the **US $26.63 million** loss recorded in the same period a year earlier. The figures were disclosed on May 11.
The company also trimmed its net loss to **US $8.8 million**, about 60 % lower than the **US $21.97 million** loss a year before. Revenue for the quarter fell 1.5 % year‑over‑year to **US $320.9 million**, continuing a trend of softening sales that began last year.
WEBTOON highlighted Korea as a bright spot. After removing the impact of a weak Korean won and Japanese yen, Korean revenue actually rose 3.2 % year‑over‑year, which the company attributed to a broader content lineup and AI‑driven recommendation tools. Monthly paying users in Korea jumped 8.5 %, while global monthly paying users (outside Korea and Japan) increased 3.3 %.
Japan remains the most lucrative market on a per‑user basis. The average revenue per paying user in Japan was **US $22.5**, far outpacing Korea (**US $7.8**) and the rest of the world (**US $6.8**). Overall, WEBTOON’s IP and creator ecosystem now reaches roughly **145 million monthly active users** worldwide.
Founder and CEO Junkoo Kim said the company delivered “solid first‑quarter results” and will continue expanding its creator ecosystem—including a major overhaul of its amateur CANVAS platform planned throughout the year—while investing in long‑term growth. Adjusted for currency swings, first‑quarter revenue would have edged up **0.2 %**.
Sources: WEBTOON‘s press release, YNA (Kyung‑yoon Kim)
