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LOS ANGELES — Sales of the webtoon “The Remarried Empress” surged after the Disney+ original series based on it drew global viewers, showing how video adaptations can revive consumption of the underlying intellectual property. Facing shrinking investment and a tougher production environment at home, M Story Hub has turned to the U.S. market, working with local partners to adapt its webtoon IP for screen and explore new business opportunities.
Seo Sang-hee, executive director at M Story Hub, told Seoul Economic Daily at the “U-KNOCK 2026 in USA” event held at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles on the 6th that sales of the original webtoon rose sharply after the series premiered on Disney+. “Sales had declined after the series ended and we switched to paid access, but within a day of the drama’s release we posted revenue close to the entire previous month,” she said. M Story Hub holds a range of webtoon and web novel IP, including “The Remarried Empress.”
Renewed interest in the original webtoon after the Disney+ release also pushed it higher on global platform rankings, turning the adaptation into a new growth driver for the source IP. “Viewers seem to watch the drama, get curious about the original and come back to the webtoon,” Seo said. “It has returned to No. 1 on global platforms outside the U.S. and Japan, among other strong responses.” The success of the video content is not limited to licensing revenue but is widening the original work’s readership, she said.
Beyond “The Remarried Empress,” M Story Hub is testing expansion opportunities for other webtoon IP. The company is working with a Japanese firm on an animated adaptation of the popular IP “Jenau,” targeting a release in the second half of next year. In the U.S., it discussed potential partnerships with local industry figures interested in producing animation and dramas based on well-known webtoon IP. The plan is to move beyond simply selling source IP and instead develop content together with local production companies.
Shrinking Domestic Production Market, Opportunity in a U.S. Hunting for New IP
Behind the focus on the U.S. market lie difficulties in Korea’s content industry. “In the past, if you produced a Korean drama or other content, there were a reasonable number of platforms and channels to show it on, but now the options have narrowed sharply,” Seo said. “Production costs and talent fees have risen, while the market for scheduling and distributing content is limited.” The arrival of global streaming services changed the domestic production landscape, she said, but platforms have recently turned more cautious about investment, making it even harder for small and mid-sized content companies to find business opportunities.
She said demand for Korean content and opportunities to discover new IP remain in the U.S. market, pointing in particular to the risk-taking investment culture in the U.S. industry. “In Korea, it can be hard to attempt a new project if it does not fit a familiar formula for success, but in the U.S. there are many people who push ahead boldly once they see potential in content or IP, despite concerns around them,” Seo said. “I think that environment is the reason Korean content can find new opportunities there.”
Beyond Investment to Production and Technology Partnerships, Opening Doors for Smaller Firms
The “U-KNOCK 2026 in USA” event underscored the importance of local networks. Seo met with officials from HYBE America and Paramount, as well as producers from Disney+ and Netflix and local writers and producers. She said she gained practical advice that the timing and format of pitches should change in line with management turnover and shifts in business strategy at local companies — meaning that understanding the decision-making structures and business conditions of the local industry matters as much as the strength of a project.
The company is also exploring new business partnerships using artificial intelligence. “At this event we discussed the possibility of collaborating using a production tool developed by a director who worked on the film ‘The Lion King,'” Sang said. The company is looking for points of contact with local firms not only for investment but also in technology and production, she said.
Seo stressed that “U-KNOCK” is an essential event for small and mid-sized content companies. “It is extremely difficult for an individual company to build this kind of local network on its own,” she said. “Thanks to the Korea Creative Content Agency arranging meetings with local industry figures, we gained a variety of ideas and confirmed new business possibilities.” She added: “It is hard for investment or a contract to come together immediately from one or two meetings, but what matters is continuing to communicate and build the relationship afterward. We plan to keep exchanging information by email and other means with the people we met at the event and to create opportunities for cooperation.”
#RemarriedEmpress#Webtoon#DisneyPlus#KoreanContent#IP#UKNOCK2026
Original reporting by Yeon Seung for Seoul Economic Daily.
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