K-Comics Origin: Korean Webtoon Exhibition Coming To Los Angeles

2026 K0Comics Origin Los Angeles (Courtesy of Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles)

Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles

For fans of Korean comics and webtoons, the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) and the Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles (KCCLA) will present the 2026 K-Comics Origin Los Angeles: Korean Webtoon Experience Exhibition from September 11 through October 17, for about a month.

The exhibition explores the “evolution of K-Comics, from Korea's 100-year history of comics to webtoon, a distinctive storytelling format that has emerged in the digital and mobile era.†It will feature three of Korea's most popular webtoons: All of Us Are Dead, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, and Solo Leveling.

Visitors will have the opportunity to step into those worlds and explore the stories and characters through immersive and interactive experiences and spatial installations. Now fans can experience the webtoons in a physical setting.

The exhibition will feature Korean webtoons expanded into live-action dramas, animation, games, and other forms of content. The exhibition will also display an overview of the One Source Multi-Use (OSMU) ecosystem, a defining characteristic of the K-Content industry in which a single story and its characters evolve across different media and genres to create new forms of content and intellectual property.

“Korean webtoons are a unique cultural content genre developed by Korean creators for the digital and mobile environment, building upon the country's long history and tradition of comics,†Headon Lee, Director of the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles, said in a press release. “Today, webtoons have become an important source of original intellectual property for a wide range of K-Content, including films and dramas. This exhibition will provide LA audiences with an opportunity to experience Korean webtoons —now a global cultural phenomenon —in a more immediate, physical setting and enjoy some of Korea's most representative works in a variety of ways.â€

Webtoons, particularly in Korea, have a global demand, with the industry generating over 2 trillion Korean won ($1.397 billion USD) worldwide in 2024, according to South Korean government data. Several Korean webtoons have been adapted into popular live-action dramas, including True Beauty, Business Proposal, Marry My Husband, The Uncanny Counter, Sweet Home, Itaewon Class, and Pyramid Game, to name a few.

On the opening day of the exhibition, Joo Dong-geun, creator of All of Us Are Dead, will be present for a special program, where he will discuss his creative process and the journey of his work from webtoon to global content. He will share his experience as a creator and go in depth on the original webtoon's adaptation into the Netflix series, which hit No. 1 on the global top 10 list in nearly 91 countries just days after its January 28, 2022 release.

“2026 K-Comics Origin Los Angeles: Korean Webtoon Experience Exhibition†will be held at the KCCLA's art gallery from September 11 through October 17, 2026. Admission is free. Exhibition hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM, and Saturday, 9 AM – 1 PM. For more information, click here.