Yongsoo Kim elevated to President and director at WEBTOON (Nasdaq: WBTN)
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
8-K
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. reported a leadership change as the Board unanimously appointed Yongsoo Kim as President, effective March 2, 2026. He will report to Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim, who remains Chief Executive Officer and Chairman.
The Board also increased its size from eight to nine directors and named Yongsoo Kim to fill the new seat as a Class I director, with a term expiring at the 2028 annual meeting of stockholders. He has served as Chief Strategy Officer since December 2023 and Head of Global WEBTOON since August 2024, leading global initiatives, WEBTOON Productions operations, and a major collaboration with The Walt Disney Company in 2025.
Compensation terms for his role as President have not yet been determined and will be disclosed in an amendment within four business days after they are set. He will receive no additional compensation for serving as a director. On March 5, 2026, the company issued a press release, furnished as Exhibit 99.1, announcing his appointment.
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Emerging growth company ☐
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Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On March 2, 2026, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (the “Company”) unanimously appointed Yongsoo Kim to serve as the President of the Company, effective March 2, 2026. Mr. Kim’s new title is President of the Company. Junkoo Kim will continue to serve as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Yongsoo Kim’s compensation terms have not been determined as of the date of this filing, and the Company will file an amendment to this Current Report on Form 8-K to disclose such information within four business days after the information is determined.
In addition, on March 2, 2026, the Board increased the size of the Board from eight (8) to nine (9) directors and unanimously appointed Yongsoo Kim to fill the newly created vacancy on the Board, effective March 2, 2026. Upon his appointment, Yongsoo Kim became a member of the slate of Class I directors with a term expiring at the 2028 annual meeting of stockholders of the Company.
Yongsoo Kim has served as the Company’s Chief Strategy Officer since December 2023. Mr. Kim has been concurrently serving as Head of Global WEBTOON, leading global strategic initiatives and the Company’s Rest of the World business to accelerate organic and inorganic growth and global integration, since August 2024. Mr. Kim joined the Company in November 2022 as Head of Strategy and served in the position until December 2023, leading company-wide transformation in 2023. Since April 2025, Mr. Kim has also been leading operations of WEBTOON Productions (formerly Wattpad WEBTOON Studios), the Company’s North American entertainment business. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Kim served as Chief Operating Officer at Mars Auto and as Principal at KKR, from January 2022 to October 2022 and from January 2018 to January 2022, respectively. Mr. Kim also served as Project Manager at Tesla from April 2017 to January 2018, and served as Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company from October 2012 to April 2017. Mr. Kim has been serving as a member of the board of directors at LD CARBON Co., Ltd. since April 2025 and previously served as a member of the board of directors at ECORBIT Corp. (formerly TSK Corporation) from December 2020 to March 2022. Further, Mr. Kim served as an auditor at HD Hyundai Marine Solution Co., Ltd. from June 2021 to January 2022. Mr. Kim received a Bachelor of Business Administration at Yonsei University in 2012.
As the Company’s President, Yongsoo Kim is not independent within the meaning of Nasdaq Rule 5606 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
Yongsoo Kim shall receive compensation from the Company related to his position as President and will receive no additional compensation for his service as a director of the Board.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Yongsoo Kim and any other persons pursuant to which he was elected as the President and a director of the Company, and he has no direct or indirect material interest in any transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
On March 5, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the appointment of Yongsoo Kim as President of the Company and a director of the Board. A copy of the press release is furnished hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
The information furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto, is being furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any other filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit Number | Description | ||||||||||
99.1 | Press release dated March 5, 2026 | ||||||||||
104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the inline XBRL document) | ||||||||||
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. | |||||||||||
| Date: | March 5, 2026 | By: | /s/ David J. Lee | ||||||||
| Name: | David J. Lee | ||||||||||
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer | ||||||||||
EXHIBIT 99.1
WEBTOON Entertainment Elevates Yongsoo Kim to President to Accelerate Global Growth and Execution
●Kim will focus on accelerating innovation, growth, and execution to drive global expansion
●Kim also joins the Board of Directors
LOS ANGELES (March 5, 2026) - WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: WBTN) today announced that Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global WEBTOON Yongsoo Kim has been named President to lead global operations and drive the company’s next phase of growth. He will focus on accelerating execution and driving innovation to reignite growth momentum across WEBTOON Entertainment’s global business.
Kim has also been appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of WEBTOON Entertainment.
Under this new organizational structure, WEBTOON Entertainment leadership will report to the President, who will report to Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim.
Since joining WEBTOON Entertainment in late 2022, President Yongsoo Kim has strengthened the company’s financial foundation and played a leading role in its successful IPO in 2024.
As CSO, Kim drove global strategic initiatives to accelerate growth and deepen global integration, most notably leading the company’s collaboration with The Walt Disney Company in 2025.
Following the company’s IPO in 2024, Kim took on the role of Head of Global WEBTOON, overseeing growth across the U.S. and other key international markets outside of Korea and Japan. In this role, he led significant transformation efforts spanning product strategy, organizational structure, and corporate culture. He drove a strategic transformation of WEBTOON Entertainment’s U.S. operations, launching new growth and engagement initiatives, and strengthened the integration of its entertainment business, WEBTOON Productions (formerly Wattpad WEBTOON Studios).
Under his leadership, the company introduced Video Episodes, expanded Creator programs to enhance the company’s Creator-driven flywheel, and delivered measurable improvements in user engagement and platform performance.
Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim said, “Yongsoo has demonstrated exceptional leadership, combining innovation with operational discipline and a proven ability to translate strategy into measurable results. As CSO and Head of Global WEBTOON, he strengthened our U.S. 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.”
With this leadership evolution, Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim will focus on long-term strategy and vision, President Yongsoo Kim will lead global operations and execution, and CFO & COO David Lee will continue in his leadership role.
Prior to WEBTOON Entertainment, Yongsoo Kim was a Principal at KKR, where he led value creation initiatives across portfolio companies and worked on investment activities in Korea. Earlier in his career, Kim was part of the founding team of Tesla’s Korea operations and served as an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company. Kim serves as a director at LD Carbon and previously served as a director at ECORBIT (formerly TSK Corporation) and as an auditor at HD Hyundai Marine Solution. Kim holds a Bachelor of Business Administration at Yonsei University.
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About WEBTOON Entertainment
WEBTOON Entertainment is a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms. As the global leader and pioneer of the mobile webcomic format, WEBTOON Entertainment has transformed comics and visual storytelling for fans and creators.
With its CANVAS UGC platform empowering anyone to become a creator, and a growing roster of superstar WEBTOON Originals creators and series, WEBTOON Entertainment’s passionate fandoms are the new face of pop culture. WEBTOON Entertainment adaptations are available on Netflix, Prime Video, Crunchyroll, and other screens around the world, and the company’s content partners include Discord, HYBE, and DC Comics, among many others.
With approximately 160 million monthly active users, WEBTOON Entertainment’s IP & Creator Ecosystem of aligned brands and platforms include WEBTOON, Wattpad--the world’s leading webnovel platform--WEBTOON Productions, Studio N, Studio LICO, WEBTOON Unscrolled, LINE MANGA, and eBookJapan, among others.
FAQ
What executive change did WEBTOON Entertainment (WBTN) disclose in this 8-K?
WEBTOON Entertainment appointed Yongsoo Kim as President effective March 2, 2026, while Founder & CEO Junkoo Kim remains Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. The move formalizes Yongsoo Kim’s operational leadership across the company’s global business and organizational execution.
Did WEBTOON Entertainment (WBTN) change the size of its Board of Directors?
Yes. The Board increased from eight to nine directors on March 2, 2026 and unanimously appointed Yongsoo Kim to the newly created seat as a Class I director. His term runs until the company’s 2028 annual meeting of stockholders.
Is WEBTOON Entertainment’s new President Yongsoo Kim considered an independent director?
No. As the company’s President, Yongsoo Kim is not independent under Nasdaq Rule 5606 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. He will receive compensation for his President role but no additional compensation for serving on the Board.
Have compensation terms for WEBTOON Entertainment’s new President been set?
No, not yet. The filing states that compensation terms for Yongsoo Kim’s role as President had not been determined as of the filing date. The company plans to file an amendment within four business days after those terms are finalized.
What prior roles did Yongsoo Kim hold at WEBTOON Entertainment before becoming President?
Since December 2023, Yongsoo Kim has served as Chief Strategy Officer, and since August 2024 as Head of Global WEBTOON. He led global strategic initiatives, U.S. transformation efforts, WEBTOON Productions operations, and a 2025 collaboration with The Walt Disney Company.
Did WEBTOON Entertainment (WBTN) issue a press release about the new President?
Yes. On March 5, 2026, the company issued a press release announcing Yongsoo Kim’s appointment as President and director. It is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 and is treated as furnished, not filed, under the Exchange Act.
Filing Exhibits & Attachments
4 documents
WEBTOON ENTERTAINMENT INC.