Naver Webtoon has established an external advisory committee to improve its content policy. Previously, Naver Webtoon faced criticism from internet users for an amateur work titled 'The Otherworld Pong Pong Man' that sparked misogyny controversy.
According to Naver Webtoon on the 27th, the company launched the external advisory committee for content service operation policy that afternoon. The committee includes Kim Min-ho, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University School of Law, Kim Hyun-kyung, a professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology Graduate School of IT Policy, Shin Il-sook, chairperson of the Korea Cartoonists Association, and Jeong Deok-hyeon, a cultural critic.
Professors Kim Min-ho and Kim Hyun-kyung currently serve as the chairperson of the Korea Internet Self-Regulation Organization (KISO) and as commissioners on the Hate Speech Review Subcommittee, respectively.
According to Naver Webtoon, the advisory committee will gather opinions from creators and platform officials, review Naver Webon's content service operation policy, and submit recommendations. Naver Webtoon plans to reassess the overall content operation policy, including competitions, based on the committee's recommendations.
Naver Webtoon faced criticism for being passive in sanctioning hate speech due to the controversy stemming from 'The Otherworld Pong Pong Man.' This amateur webtoon tells the story of a man who, after being used by women, crosses over to another dimension at the moment he gives up on life, which has raised issues with its misogynistic expression and content.
After this webtoon passed the first round of judging at Naver Webtoon's Greatest Competition in September, a boycott movement led by female readers ensued.
At that time, the platform stated it could not sanction the webtoon, citing that it was an amateur work and could infringe on creative freedom. However, as the controversy grew, they issued an official apology and promised to outline improvement measures.
A Naver Webtoon official noted, 'We will strive to respect creative freedom while fulfilling our role as a responsible platform through the advisory committee.'