All of Us Are Dead creator on South Korea’s webtoon boom and his Netflix success

Once a part-time artist sketching on the backs of old calendars, Joo Dong-geun now stands at the forefront of South Korea’s webtoon revolution, with his zombie-based creation All of Us Are Dead becoming a global sensation on Netflix.

Many of the biggest South Korean dramas that have been adapted for major broadcast channels and streaming platforms in recent years, from Hellbound to Reborn Rich, have their roots in the world of webtoons.

These webtoon-based dramas, backed by the country’s leading film studios, have become known for their unique storylines, featuring a diverse range of themes, from apocalyptic fantasies and heroic journeys to office romances.

Joo’s All of Us Are Dead, centred on high school students battling a zombie outbreak, ranks among the most popular webtoon-based television series ever, topping streaming charts in 54 countries and securing a renewal for a second season.

In an interview with This Week in Asia, Joo attributed the growing influence of webtoons to the creative freedom given to authors.

“The barriers to publishing a webtoon series or episodes are much lower than publishing a book or writing a TV series,” he said. “This gives us the freedom to experiment with our stories and try new things.”