They exist as a digital medium, rather than a physical one. Manhwa webtoons operate entirely differently. In the US and Europe, people either buy weekly issues of their favourite comics (from Marvel, DC, Image etc) or wait for the trade collections to come out, which can then be bought in bookshops and comic book stores. Manga can also be bought in tankobon collections from bookshops and comic book stores all around the world.

In Japan, people spend their lives reading and collecting weekly issues of Shonen Jump. If you’re already a fan of Western comics, Japanese manga, or both, you’ll know that these are very physical mediums. Because of their digital nature, reading manhwa is easy and convenient. What gives manhwa webtoons an exciting edge over Western comics and Japanese manga is just how accessible they are. And there is plenty of adult manhwa out there, too. There is a deep ocean of romance manhwa to swim in, if you fancy it. There are plenty of fantasy manhwa with exciting and original worlds to get lost in. Just like with American comics and Japanese manga, manhwa/webtoons come in all types and genres.

This, however, is a technicality that is probably debated all over the internet, much like the classic question: is Avatar: The Last Airbender an anime? So, all manhwa are webtoons but not all webtoons are manhwa. Webtoon, however, has become an umbrella term for any and all comics published online. If you do want to get technical, there is one difference: the word manhwa is typically reserved for comics created by Koreans (much like how manga are created by Japanese writers and artists).

Bastard by Youngchan Hwang