Naver Webtoon held an offline creative ecosystem support event called Webtoonwith on July 21 at the Lavalse Hotel in Yeongdo district, Busan, to help the creative activities and networking of webtoon artists in non-capital regions.

The event was organised as part of the Naver Impact program, which aims to help businesses and creators grow sustainably through Team Naver's technology and service capabilities. It aimed to provide a tailored communication channel for creators living outside the capital region, who have had relatively fewer opportunities for offline exchange.

The first Busan event, held under the name "Cookie Masters in the City", drew about 50 webtoon artists living in Busan, Ulsan, South Gyeongsang, Daegu and North Gyeongsang. Creators who gathered at the venue attended a special lecture by creator Seungyeon Cho (조승연), recreation, and dining and networking sessions, sharing concerns from their work process and spending time exchanging ideas.

Naver Webtoon plans to continue offline programs for non-capital region creators, starting with the Busan event, followed by the Daejeon region in August and the Gwangju region in September.

Ini, a creator of "A Kind Intruder", who attended the event, said, "Creators who work in their own spaces gathered in one place, communicated in a healthy way, and felt a deep sense of belonging." Ini said, "It was very positive and gave strength to creative activities that the platform went beyond simply providing a space for serialisation and created opportunities for creators to interact."

The company has supported creator welfare and emotional care in various ways through Webtoonwith, a creative ecosystem support program. Specifically, it is running health checkups, bereavement leave and support, orientation for new creators, an end-of-series celebration "Epilogue Party" and a strengths coaching program. It is also supporting a "Webtoonwith fan meeting" where creators and readers meet, and a "Creators' Mindfulness 1-night, 2-day camp" to help creators who have completed a series recharge.

Naver Webtoon will invest more than 70 billion won this year in supporting the global creative ecosystem. The investment will be used broadly for discovering works through contests and other channels, creator education and welfare, and support for global expansion.