The popular Webtoon series Wind Breaker, created by Jo Yong-seok, has been officially canceled. The decision came suddenly and was announced alongside the series’ final chapter. The cancellation was the result of confirmed plagiarism by the creator.
Jo Yong-seok admitted to tracing scenes from several other Webtoon titles. He included a written apology in the final chapter, taking responsibility for his actions. In his message, he wrote:
“First of all, I sincerely apologize for the distress caused to many due to the recent tracing allegations related to my work. Among the reference materials I used while working, some scenes turned out to be very similar to or almost identical in expression to those from other works. This is clearly my fault. For many years, I’ve been living a life constantly racing toward deadlines. In doing so, I let urgency override the standards that I, as a creator, should have upheld. And I failed to keep them. Above all else, I truly wanted to show the final story of this work to the very end. So, deciding to end it midway is extremely painful. I feel deeply sorry and again apologize to the readers. To everyone who supported and believed in me despite my shortcomings, I sincerely thank you, and once again, I bow my head in apology.”
The now-ended series followed a young cyclist named Jo “Jay” Ja-hyeon who trains and competes in an underground racing event called The League of Streets. He was inspired to become a cyclist by his uncle, who was a professional in the sport. The series began in December 2013 and became one of the most-read titles on the Webtoon platform.
Webtoon, the platform that hosted Wind Breaker, reportedly looked into the plagiarism claims before ending the series. The investigation found the use of traced material from other artists on the same platform. This is a violation of Webtoon’s policies and industry standards.
The future of the story remains unclear. Jo Yong-seok has said that he plans to release more of the storyline in manuscript form on his blog, though this will not be an official continuation. While Wind Breaker had a strong and committed fan base, the confirmed plagiarism brings its long run to a permanent close.
Whether the author will return to the publishing world is still unknown.
Karina Smitt
I'm not as much of a "CoMiCs NeEd MoAr DiVeRsItY & iNcLuSiOn" advocate as my girlfriend often is, but we both love funny books, crispy bacon, straight bourbon and hip hop. Add yet, we never vote the same, so we cancel each other out... and that works perfectly in my book!
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