Ylab

Ylab (와이랩) is a South Korean content production company founded in 2010 and headquartered in Mapo-gu, Seoul. It describes itself as a comprehensive storytelling content company that turns stories into works audiences want to see, specializing in webtoons and video content. Ylab is recognized as the industry's first studio-type producer to integrate the webtoon production value chain, and it pursues transmedia storytelling to expand narratives across platforms. The company's origins trace back to 2006, when manhwa artist Youn In-wan (creator of works such as "Shin Angyo Onshi") established Youn In-wan Production. The company was renamed Youn Story Lab in 2009 and incorporated as Ylab Co., Ltd. in 2010. Ylab holds intellectual property rights for its affiliated creators' works and directly participates in producing secondary adaptations—dramas, films, and games—based on its original comics. It also produces corporate promotional comics and engages in character animation projects and collaboration merchandise planning. Ylab operates with a unique production model: rather than managing creators as a traditional agency, it collaborates with artists on specific works, providing planning and producing input while allowing creators to pursue independent projects simultaneously. The company's name or logo appears on works developed through this collaboration, reinforcing its corporate identity. Ylab maintains a global presence with key bases in Seoul, Tokyo, and Ho Chi Minh City, and it operates a specialized Japanese translation and interpretation system that has been applied to Naver Webtoon's Japanese mobile application since 2012. Ylab is known for the Superstring project, a multiverse initiative announced in 2015 that brings protagonists from various Ylab works—published across platforms and countries including Naver, Daum, Comico, Shogakukan, and Shueisha—into a single shared universe. The company has been involved in film adaptations ("Fashion King"), web dramas ("Prince of Prince"), TV programs ("Joseon Dynasty Talk"), and mobile games ("Cafe de Chocolate"). It also runs Ylab Academy, a subsidiary for creator training, and participated in the Korea Creative Content Agency's 2015 creative talent mentoring program.

Ylab's history began in 2006 when manhwa artist Youn In-wan, creator of works such as "Shin Angyo Onshi," established Youn In-wan Production. In 2009, the company was renamed Youn Story Lab, and in 2010 it was incorporated as Ylab Co., Ltd. The company reached annual revenue of 4 billion KRW within four years of founding. In its early years, Ylab collaborated with Japanese manga platforms such as Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday and Monthly Sunday GX, producing or translating works by its affiliated artists. In November 2011, the webtoon "Buto" by Jung Hyun-joo began serialization on Naver Webtoon, marking Ylab's full-scale entry into the Korean webtoon business. In 2012, Ylab started Japanese translation services for Naver Webtoon's mobile application and began publishing works on Daum's Manhwa Soksang. In October 2012, an English and Chinese app book for the webtoon "ENT." was released on the Apple App Store in collaboration with SM Entertainment. In 2013, Lee Myung-jin, creator of "Ragnarok" and "Somehow Good Things Will Happen in the Evening," became CEO. Ylab participated in collaboration merchandise planning for "Fashion King" by Kian84 and launched KakaoTalk emoticons. In June 2013, the film adaptation of "Fashion King" was announced—the first film adaptation of a Ylab work. The film was released in November 2014, co-produced by Ylab and Nomad Film, distributed by Next Entertainment World, and directed by Oh Ki-hwan. It ranked first at the Korean box office in its opening week and was pre-sold to five overseas countries. In 2015, Ylab expanded into web dramas and TV. "Prince of Prince" was adapted into a web drama that premiered on June 8, 2015. "Joseon Dynasty Talk" was adapted into the MBC every1 program "Webtoon Hero – Toon Drama Show," which aired in July 2015. In October 2015, Egami Hideki, former editor-in-chief of Shogakukan, joined Ylab as Global Chief Producer. In December 2015, at the company's 5th anniversary party, the Superstring project was announced—a multiverse bringing together protagonists from various Ylab works across platforms and countries. The first Superstring work, "Terror Man," began serialization on Naver Webtoon in January 2016, followed by "Revival Man" in May 2016. In March 2016, the mobile game "Cafe de Chocolate" was launched. Ylab has also been involved in creator training, participating as a mentoring institution in the Korea Creative Content Agency's 2015 Creative Talent Companion Program. The company operates Ylab Academy, a subsidiary led by Shin Eui-cheol, with popular artists serving as instructors. Ylab continues to operate globally with bases in Seoul, Tokyo, and Ho Chi Minh City.

• 2016

  Superstring works 'Terror Man' and 'Revival Man' begin; 'Cafe de Chocolate' mobile game launched.

• 2015

  'Prince of Prince' web drama premieres; 'Joseon Dynasty Talk' TV adaptation airs; Egami Hideki joins; Superstring project announced.

• 2014

  'Fashion King' film released in November.

• 2013

  Lee Myung-jin becomes CEO; 'Fashion King' film adaptation announced.

• 2012

  Starts Japanese translation services for Naver Webtoon; releases 'ENT.' app book in English and Chinese.

• 2011

  Webtoon 'Buto' begins on Naver Webtoon, entering Korean webtoon business.

• 2010

  Incorporated as Ylab Co., Ltd.

• 2009

  Company renamed Youn Story Lab.

• 2006

  Youn In-wan establishes Youn In-wan Production.

Integrated studio-type content producer specializing in webtoon and video content, pioneering transmedia storytelling and the Superstring multiverse.

• Fashion King

• Joseon Dynasty Talk

• Prince of Prince

• Terror Man

• Revival Man

• Cafe de Chocolate

• ENT.

1. 1YLAB Official Websiteylabcomics.com
2. 2YLAB About Companyylabcomics.com
3. 3YLAB CI Introductionylabcomics.com
4. 4Wikidata: Ylabwikidata.org
5. 5Wikipedia (Korean): 와이랩ko.wikipedia.org