The launch marks a step in the company’s broader effort to extend its intellectual property (IP) strategy into short-form video, as global viewing habits increasingly shift toward mobile-first and episodic content formats.

Short-form storytelling has gained traction as audiences move away from traditional long-form programming on television and OTT platforms. In North America, quarterly revenue from short-form drama apps is nearing KRW 500 billion, a trend linked to the rapid growth of China’s short-drama market, which surpassed KRW 10 trillion in 2024 and continues to expand internationally.

Lezhin said its entry into short-form drama builds on its existing IP business rather than responding to a short-term market trend. The company operates paid webtoon platforms across multiple markets and has developed a portfolio of original content supported by an established global user base.

Lezhin Snack draws on more than 30,000 proprietary IPs from Lezhin Comics and Bomtoon, which the company plans to selectively adapt for short-form drama. The platform will launch simultaneously in South Korea, the United States, and Japan on February 4.

The U.S. is a key market for the rollout. Since launching Lezhin US in 2015, the company has grown its cumulative user base in the country to more than 24 million. In 2024, Lezhin’s North American transaction volume exceeded KRW 20 billion, with a year-on-year increase projected for 2025.

Lezhin said Lezhin Snack will combine user data from its existing platforms with in-house production capabilities to identify stories suited to short-form formats. Directors Lee Joon-ik (The King and the Clown) and Lee Byung-hun (Extreme Job) are involved in the platform’s initial productions.

Launch titles include My Child’s Father Is My Male Best Friend and All-Boys High School, adapted from high-performing Lezhin Comics IPs.

Beyond content distribution, the company positions Lezhin Snack as a testing ground for IP development, allowing it to assess audience response more quickly before expanding selected properties into longer-form dramas, animation, games, or other formats.

Lezhin currently operates 10 platforms in eight languages and has recorded more than 70 million cumulative registered users worldwide. The company said it plans to use this foundation to scale Lezhin Snack internationally and broaden its audience beyond traditional webtoon readers.

“Lezhin Snack marks the starting point of our next phase of global IP expansion. By continuously extending the value of our original IPs, we aim to evolve into a truly global IP company that delivers enjoyment to audiences worldwide,” a company spokesperson said. 

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