In response to widespread user backlash, Naver Webtoon updated its paid content on 24 October to include acclaimed writer Han Kang's name, which had previously been omitted.

The simmering controversy burst into flames when fans and readers, who had been studying post-war literature and translation, realized that Han Kang - a freshly-acquired household name after winning the Nobel Prize in Literature last week - was absent from a list of literary luminaries.

Commenters voiced their annoyance in online community forums like theqoo, asking why such content was excluded and denouncing the platform for its selective editing.

One anonymous user bemoaned, "Why bother posting anything that will be wiped in a few words? Another commenter pointed out the irony of having so many Japanese authors but no well-known Korean novelists.

In the face of escalating debates over the issue, a number of users branded it as an instance of promotion radicalism — claiming that online platforms were suppressing local authors.

The new edition now lists Han Kang, prompting renewed discussion among readers over whether a digital publisher should have the right to change decisions made by its editorial staff.

This has raised questions about censorship and media portrayal, especially in light of Korean literature's treatment of feminist ideas and female authors.

This debate and Naver Webtoon's original decision to omit it have yet to be addressed.

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This article was written by:

Rovelyn Barba