At the end of last month, Daum quietly removed the link to Kakao Webtoon from its homepage. Practically speaking, nothing changes. Kakao Webtoon isn’t going anywhere. Your library is safe.
Back in 2003, Daum Webtoon was the place to read. No coins. No daily passes. No premium locks. Just great stories from creators who were figuring out this whole “webtoon” thing as they went. Legendary creators like Kang Full (Love Story), Yoon Tae-ho (Misaeng), and Chon Kye-young (Itaewon Class) either got their start or found their audience on Daum.
Daum’s search engine market share steadily declined throughout the 2010s. By 2014, Naver commanded nearly 77% of the Korean market, while emerging premium platforms like Lezhin offered creators better monetization options.
That same year, Daum merged with Kakao in a high-profile deal. The entity briefly rebranded as “Daum Kakao” before reverting to Kakao Corp in 2015, sidelining the Daum name in favor of Kakao’s stronger brand identity.
Meanwhile, KakaoPage—launched in 2013—pivoted to webtoons in 2014 and became a juggernaut, producing hits like Solo Leveling and Mookhyang. Daum Webtoon lingered without significant support until it eventually relaunched as Kakao Webtoon.
Last year, Kakao started cleaning house. In late 2025, they spun off Daum under a new company called AXZ—now running Daum’s news, search, email, and blogging services. AXZ is reportedly up for sale.
Kakao Webtoon continues normal operations, and readers will not lose access to their libraries. However, the move carries symbolic weight for longtime industry observers. Daum Webtoon helped define the early webtoon landscape, offering a platform for character-driven storytelling before the industry became heavily commercialized. Its quiet fade from existence marks the end of a formative era in digital comics.
Source: Webtoonish
