Naver Webtoon Issues Refunds for ‘Wind Breaker’ Following Plagiarism Scandal

Cycling webtoon hits the brakes as refunds roll out after plagiarism pitstop

The wheels have come off for Naver WEBTOON’s Wind Breaker (a separate entity from Satoru Nii’s manga namesake), with the platform now issuing refunds for the derailed cycling drama after its abrupt cancellation.

July 14 marked the start of Naver WEBTOON’s damage control, opening floodgates for fans to reclaim their digital coins. The service confirmed it’s fielding repayment queries like a pit crew servicing disappointed readers.

The webtoon skidded off course when eagle-eyed fans spotted panel parallels between recent chapters and Japanese manga like Tokyo Ghoul. Creator Yongseok Jo blamed years of breakneck deadlines for cutting corners, leaving behind a digital trail of “what-could-have-been” notes on his personal blog. His farewell message now lingers like ghost writing on WEBTOON’s English portal.

Naver WEBTOON’s internal investigation confirmed the artistic overlap, pulling the emergency brake on both serialization and distribution.

Readers who invested in the final laps through in-app purchases or permanent copies now queue for reimbursement. The company’s pledge reads like a race-day guarantee: “Refund requests will cross the finish line after we park this title for good.”

Though ANN inquired about international refunds, WEBTOON’s global team remains silent as a disqualified racer.

First pedaling onto screens in 2013, Wind Breaker chronicled a teenager’s cycling ascension, becoming one of WEBTOON’s marathon successes across multiple languages. Now its English version sits in the digital junkyard with a “Last Chance to View” sign.

News source: Animenewsnetwork.com