Kakao Entertainment has clarified its position regarding the affiliation of author A, presumed to be the same person as the controversial webtoon 'Isekai Pongpongnam', which has sparked controversy over misogynistic expressions.
On the 23rd, Kakao Entertainment stated to Maeil Business Star Today about author A, "There is a work that was completed two years ago (on Kakao Page), but there has been no recent interaction with the author." They further added, "Since we have never signed a management contract, it is not true that they are affiliated with us. We plan to request a correction on the portal."
Additionally, they explained, "The business cards and employee IDs shared on personal social media are merely gifts of appreciation provided to authors who have contracted with us, and do not indicate actual affiliated authors."
The work 'Isekai Pongpongnam', submitted to the Naver Webtoon contest, became embroiled in controversy over misogynistic expressions, leading to a boycott movement among some, and ultimately it was disqualified from the contest. Speculation arose that the author of this work, who revealed their face in an interview with a comprehensive daily newspaper on the 21st, might be author A, based on their appearance and drawing style.
In the meantime, as author A's agency was listed as Kakao Entertainment on the portal site profile, Kakao Entertainment quickly corrected this to avoid any fallout.
Webtoon authors often sign contracts for both works and management with large companies, but many only sign contracts for their works. Author A, presumed to be the Pongpongnam author, is known to have only signed a distribution contract for one work between 2021 and 2022.
'Isekai Pongpongnam' passed the first round of the Naver Webtoon contest in September, but became embroiled in controversy over misogyny, leading to a boycott movement primarily among female readers. The story depicts a man who, after being betrayed by his wife and losing a significant portion of his assets in a divorce, accidentally crosses over to another world. It prominently features the internet neologism 'Pongpongnam', which refers to a man who is married based on economic conditions, and contains misogynistic expressions and content, sparking controversy.
Ultimately, the work was disqualified from the contest. Naver Webtoon expressed, "We sincerely apologize for the discomfort and concern caused to readers and webtoon creators due to recent issues related to the contest."
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
