Kakao Webtoon's new series 'I Will Carve It in the Deepest Place,' which began serialization on the 17th, has been engulfed in tracing allegations, commonly known as plagiarism accusations. Online communities have raised the level of criticism, pointing out that not only the art style but also the story and protagonist names are similar. The backlash has targeted not only the artist but also Kakao Entertainment, which planned the serialization.
According to the webtoon industry on the 28th, the series in question is suspected of having many similarities with 'Cry, Even If You Beg' (hereinafter referred to as 'Ulbil'), which has been serialized successfully on Naver Webtoon. Critics note that the artist's style by Banji, along with the work's background, composition, and names, are alike. The male protagonist in 'Ulbil' is named 'Matthias von Herhardt,' while the protagonist of 'I Will Carve It in the Deepest Place' is named 'Josef von Berhar.'
Comments on the serialization page for Kakao Webtoon's 'I Will Carve It in the Deepest Place' have been filled with posts raising tracing allegations. Comments such as "A work that any webtoon reader cannot miss was copied," "The webtoon industry is well aware of sensitivity toward art styles, so copying to this extent raises serious concerns," and "While the art style alone seems incredibly labor-intensive, overall it appears to be traced" continue to appear, suggesting it does not seem like a coincidence. In particular, the artist's previous work shows a clear difference in style, solidifying suspicions that 'Ulbil' was traced.
Tracing is a form of plagiarism. Originally referring to copying mechanical design drawings drawn on drafting paper, in the webtoon industry it denotes tracing over another image placed underneath. In the webtoon industry, which emphasizes creativity, tracing is strictly prohibited. Last year, the popular webtoon 'Wind Breaker,' serialized for about 12 years on Naver Webtoon, was removed due to tracing allegations. At the time, artist Jo Yong-seok apologized, stating, "After years of rushing to meet weekly deadlines, my impatience led me to fail to uphold the standards expected of a creator." Naver Webtoon applied its zero-tolerance policy and deleted all chapters from the platform.
Users are also directing criticism toward Kakao Entertainment, which operates Kakao Webtoon. Typically, before serialization begins, platform staff and PDs discuss serialization methods and episode details with the artist for several months to nearly a year. Users express disbelief that webtoon industry professionals would decide to serialize such a similar work. In the case of 'Wind Breaker,' tracing occurred during serialization, but in this incident, critics argue it could have been prevented beforehand.
Aware of the controversy, Kakao Entertainment has halted the serialization of the webtoon and launched an investigation into the facts. It is understood that the company has begun internal review after receiving materials from the artist proving originality.
A Kakao Webtoon representative stated, "We are currently conducting a thorough fact-finding process regarding this matter." They added, "Copyright belongs to the creator, the artist. The platform serialization contract signed between our company and the artist includes clauses on originality and compliance with copyright obligations for creators."
in TECH
