2 WEBTOON co-CEOs Revealed in Huge Naver Shake-Up
Naver Webtoon now has two WEBTOON co-CEOs after WEBTOON Entertainment named Yongsoo Kim and Gyu-nam Kim to share the top job on Oct. 1, according to Seoul Economic Daily.
Yongsoo Kim keeps his job as president of WEBTOON Entertainment while also serving as a co-CEO of Naver Webtoon. Gyu-nam Kim becomes co-CEO and is also the company’s chief administrative officer. Founder Junkoo Kim is no longer Naver Webtoon’s CEO. He remains chairman and CEO of WEBTOON Entertainment and will focus on long-term growth, the newspaper reported.
Who the WEBTOON co-CEOs Are
Gyu-nam Kim joined the company in 2018. He has handled content policy, operating guidelines and creator support systems, and he has worked with governments in several countries on anti-piracy efforts, Seoul Economic Daily reported. In his new role, he is expected to deepen ties with domestic partners and related organizations.
Yongsoo Kim joined in 2022 and previously served as chief strategy officer and head of global WEBTOON. WEBTOON Entertainment promoted him to president on March 5. The newspaper said he played a role in the company’s initial public offering.
In November 2025, WEBTOON Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation announced a partnership to co-produce 10 animated adaptations of webcomics for global distribution. Yongsoo Kim was quoted in that announcement.
Why the Change Matters
The company said the two-leader setup is meant to refine market-by-market strategy and strengthen links among affiliated services, according to the newspaper. It said Yongsoo Kim will concentrate on strategic consistency and speed of execution, while the WEBTOON co-CEOs split duties between global and domestic work.
The move comes as the webcomic business is shifting. Rival platform Tapas, owned by Kakao Entertainment, is shutting down in March 2027. Fans of Korean comics can also read about the latest Solo Leveling update or explore five South Korean anime worth watching.
For creators, the company said through the newspaper that Naver Webtoon will keep fully supporting the domestic creative ecosystem. Readers can expect the WEBTOON co-CEOs to guide that effort.