Kakao Ent. Launches New Webtoon Umbilical by The Horizon's JH

New series follows 2 girls with opposing views on life

Kakao Entertainment unveiled Umblical, a new webtoon by acclaimed creator Ji-hoon Jeong (pen name JH), last month. The work marks Jeong's first new series in three years since the conclusion of The Boxer.

The series debuted exclusively on Kakao Page and Kakao Webtoon on December 30. Anticipation was high ahead of its release, following Jeong's recent international recognition for The Horizon, which won the Yellow Kid Comic of the Year award at Lucca Comics & Games in November. Held annually in Italy, Lucca Comics & Games is one of Europe's largest and most prestigious comics and gaming festivals.

Jeong's Umbilical webtoon follows two contrasting girls — one who seeks to completely sever ties with the world, and another who affirms the value of human existence and life. Jeong is known for crossing genres in his works, and the new series features intense storytelling marked by unpredictable developments; action; and dense, emotionally charged dialogue.

Commenting on the release, Jeong said he hopes Umblical will resonate deeply with readers. “After The Boxer, I'm glad to return with a new story for readers in Korea,” he said. “Umblical is the result of a long and intense contemplation about existence and what it means to be human. I hope this work becomes a journey where readers and I search for those answers together.”

Currently, an official English version of the webtoon is not available.

The Horizon, originally serialized in 2016 on Comica, is available in English on WEBTOON. Ize Press released the series in print in English. Ize Press is also releasing The Boxer in print in English. The series is also available digitally on WEBTOON. WEBTOON has also released Jeong's Mosquito Wars work digitally in English.

Source: Newsis (Hyo-ryong Shin)