Naver WEBTOON and Munpia have revealed the 37 winners of their collaborative 2026 World's Largest Web Novel Contest. The competition saw a significant surge in interest this year, drawing over 10,000 entries—a 35% increase over the previous iteration. Notably, the contest served as a launchpad for emerging talent, with roughly 6,600 of the 7,400 participating writers entering with no prior experience in paid serialization.
The top honor went to At the Ending of a Makjang Drama by Pitkong. The modern fantasy title, which blends alternate-history elements with melodrama, follows a protagonist thrust into a high-stakes imperial succession battle following a terrorist incident. Three additional works secured the Excellence Award: The NIS' Indestructible Black Agent by Sotamja, The Trade King in This Life by Youngwan, and I Obtained the Omnipotent Angel by MammothXM.
Responding to a massive influx of genre submissions, organizers introduced a Martial Arts Special Award this year. The category recognized How a Ronin Survives the World of Martial Artists by Teruchi, Cultivating Through Gacha in a Xianxia World by Seogong, and A Fishing Village Boy Raised as a Martial Artist by Apyeong-a. With over 1,400 martial arts-themed entries submitted, the category saw its popularity more than double compared to 2025.
Winning entries will first be serialized on Munpia before expanding to the Naver Series platform. Beyond text-based publication, the Grand Prize and Excellence Award winners are confirmed for webtoon adaptations. Furthermore, all 37 winning titles are under consideration for broader multimedia development, including potential film and television projects.
