Webtoon Entertainment, parent company of story-sharing platform Wattpad, Webtoon Productions and Studio N, has promoted Yongsoo Kim to president.
Kim, who was previously chief strategy officer and head of global, will be charged with leading global operations and driving further innovation in its business.
Kim has been with Webtoon Entertainment since 2022 and played a key role in its IPO in 2024.
In his role as chief strategy officer and later head of global, he has been responsible for growth in the US and other key markets beyond South Korea and Japan. He has also played a central role in initiatives such as the launch of shortform videos on the Webtoon platform and its recent deal with Disney to launch a new digital comics platform.
In his new role, he will report to Webtoon Entertainment founder and CEO Junkoo Kim, as well as joining the company’s board of directors.
Before joining Webtoon Entertainment, Yongsoo Kim was a principal at private equity firm KKR and before that was part of the founding team of Tesla’s Korea operations.
The promotion comes as Wattpad stories continue to be an important source of IP for studios and streamers globally, with Amazon recently talking up the importance of Wattpad story-to-screen adaptations during its Prime Video Presents: International Originals event in February.
Its production arm, Wattpad Webtoon Studios, recently rebranded as Webtoon Productions under a new organisational structure. https://www.c21media.net/news/wattpad-webtoon-studios-sets-new-organisational-structure-rebrands-north-american-arm/
“Yongsoo has demonstrated exceptional leadership, combining innovation with operational discipline and a proven ability to translate strategy into measurable results,” said Junkoo Kim.
“As [chief strategy officer] and head of global Webtoon, he strengthened our US and international operations, building a culture of innovation and performance. Yongsoo’s elevation to president reinforces our commitment to disciplined execution as we scale globally, boldly innovating while staying focused on our long-term vision to be the world’s storytelling technology platform, empowering creation by anyone, for everyone.”
