Maeil Economy Report: Pocket Comics Considers Exiting France as Webtoon Platforms Struggle in Europe
According Korean business media website Maeil Economy, Pocket Comics, the global webtoon platform operated by NHN, is considering shutting down its French service, signaling a broader pullback of Korean digital comics from the European market.Although the service is still technically live, Pocket Comics has halted all new content uploads in France since early 2025. The company confirmed it is “conducting a comprehensive review of the service's operations and efficiency,” and that discontinuation is one of the options under consideration.France, known as Europe's largest comic book market, had been seen as a high-potential destination for webtoons. Pocket Comics first launched in France in January 2022 and quickly found success, topping the local App Store charts by targeting women in their 20s and 30s. But that early momentum has faded. With local readers still favoring traditional print manga, and overall market growth slowing, Korean platforms are finding it difficult to gain a lasting foothold.If Pocket Comics leaves France, it would mark NHN's complete exit from the European webtoon market, following prior withdrawals from Germany and Southeast Asia. NHN had previously viewed France as its final stronghold in Europe.NHN launched the Pocket Comics app in English in the United States, Canada, and Singapore in July 2020. The service has from the start hosted both Japanese and Korean works.Kakao Piccoma shut down its webtoon platform in France last September.Source: Maeil Economy (Ho-joon Jeong)
