WEBTOON's 'Wind Breaker' Series Faces Suspension and Refunds

Naver WEBTOON has announced that it is processing refund requests for the popular webtoon Wind Breaker by Yongseok Jo, following the series' recent suspension amid plagiarism allegations.

Series Suspension and Refund Policy

On July 14, WEBTOON confirmed that its customer service is now accepting inquiries from users who purchased episodes of Wind Breaker. The company has stated that refunds will be issued upon request after the series is officially removed from the platform.

What Led to the Series' Halt?

The series, which debuted in 2013 and follows a high school student's journey into competitive cycling, became one of WEBTOON's most popular titles, with translations in multiple languages. However, in late June, readers pointed out striking similarities between recent Wind Breaker scenes and panels from Japanese manga like Tokyo Ghoul.

Yongseok Jo, the creator, explained that years of weekly deadlines led to a compromise in creative standards and expressed deep regret to fans. Although the series will no longer continue, Jo shared highlights of the intended ending and a personal message on his blog. His apology and the discontinuation message are available in English on WEBTOON.

Confirmation of Similarities and Series Conclusion

Naver WEBTOON also acknowledged the similarities in composition and direction between Wind Breaker and other works, leading to the decision to end both the serialization and service of the series.

Refunds for Fans

Fans who used in-app currency (cookies) to unlock recent chapters or purchased permanent copies via Naver Series are requesting refunds. The company reassures that refunds will be processed upon customer request after the series is officially removed.

As of now, WEBTOON's global division has not responded regarding refunds for the English version of Wind Breaker.

About the Series

Wind Breaker was a beloved series that followed a high school cyclist and gained international popularity. It was available on WEBTOON, but the platform states that the series will soon be unavailable.

Source: News 1 (Eun-bin Shin)