Must-Read Korean Webtoons with English Translations

If you have ever fallen deep into a series at 2 a.m. and promised yourself “just one more episode,” then you and I are already on the same page. I spend a frankly impractical amount of time reading Korean webtoons on my commute and before bed, and in 2025, the English options are richer than ever. I would like to take you through the must-reads I regularly recommend, how I navigate platforms and pricing, and a few practical tips I learned the hard way. My goal is simple: I hope you will find a story you cannot put down—and also a sustainable way to read it without wrecking your sleep schedule or your budget.

Getting Started with Korean Webtoons in English

Where to read legally in 2025

I would kindly recommend you stick to official platforms. The reading experience is cleaner, creators are paid, and the translations are quality-checked.

WEBTOON: The largest library of Korean originals in English, including tentpole titles like Tower of God, Noblesse, Sweet Home, Lookism, True Beauty, and more. Monetization mixes free episodes, Fast Pass, and Daily Pass.
Tapas: Strong catalog for action and fantasy such as Solo Leveling, as well as romance and isekai. Uses Ink as its currency.
Tappytoon: Excellent for romance, fantasy, and the villainess subgenre, with polished localization. Uses points and often runs unlock events.
Lezhin Comics: Mature catalog, BL and thriller standouts like Painter of the Night and Killing Stalking. Coin-based, with strict age gating.
Manta: Subscription model for a broad romance and fantasy library such as Under the Oak Tree and Semantic Error. Unlimited reading while subscribed.
Yen Press and Seven Seas: For those who prefer print or e-books, many popular series have official English volumes compiled from the webtoon’s seasons.

Regional availability varies due to licensing. If you travel, some series can disappear from your library temporarily due to IP geofencing. I keep one backup platform installed just in case.

How translations are scheduled and updated

Simulpub: The English episode publishes within hours or days of the Korean release. You will see this on blockbuster titles, but a delay of one to two weeks is still common.
Season breaks: Creators often publish in seasons, then pause for a scheduled hiatus to rebuild buffers and protect health. A hiatus is not a cancellation. I track these breaks so I do not burn through a season too fast and then stew for weeks. Hard lesson learned!

The English release may split long Korean episodes into two or three parts. Please do not panic if the numbering looks off compared to fan discussions; different platforms chunk episodes differently.

Pricing models and how I budget

WEBTOON Wait-For-Free and Daily Pass: If a series offers wait-unlocks, I line up three or four long-runners and rotate daily. It keeps the queue moving at no cost.
Microtransactions for finales: When I am within ten episodes of the end, I happily use coins or ink to finish. Most episodes run the equivalent of well under a dollar each. Buying coins during promotions reduces cost per episode by 20–40%.
Subscription for binging: When I am in a romance or BL mood, I subscribe to Manta for a month, binge my list, then pause. Clean, predictable spending.

If you are sensitive to cliffhangers, you might want to stockpile unlocked episodes and binge a full arc. I learned that the hard way with The Boxer—the wait between arcs was agonizing.

Content ratings and trigger warnings

Official platforms label mature content and sometimes provide content notices. I still keep personal notes for triggers like bullying, domestic abuse, stalking, graphic violence, and sexual content. Before recommending titles to friends, I check the tags, the first 10 episodes, and community notes for any red flags. It takes a few minutes and makes a huge difference for a comfortable reading experience.

Action and Fantasy Essentials I Would Recommend First

Tower of God

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Long-running with 500+ English episodes
Why it is essential: Worldbuilding density that rivals epic fantasy, a power system that stays coherent, and character arcs that pay off after dozens of chapters. I started this on a flight and did not sleep. Please pace yourself.
Reading tip: The series uses seasons with tonal shifts. If Season One feels like a maze, Season Two expands the horizon in a way that makes earlier details click. Keep a character list; it helps.

Solo Leveling

Platform: Tapas and other official outlets
Status: Completed at roughly 180 episodes including extras
Why it is essential: It is the modern power fantasy blueprint. Tight pacing, striking SFX and monster design, and a protagonist whose growth curve is addicting to watch. The anime brought many new readers, but the webtoon’s paneling sells the scale better, in my opinion.
Reading tip: The mid-series raid arcs are best binged. I saved coins for the last 30 episodes so I could read them in a single weekend—zero regrets.

Omniscient Reader

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Ongoing with 200+ English episodes as of 2025
Why it is essential: Meta-narrative done right. If you love stories about readers trapped in their favorite novel, this is the refined, emotionally layered version. The way it handles timelines and author-reader relationships is unexpectedly tender.
Reading tip: This is a series where localization matters. The English team does strong work with system terms, keeping them consistent and readable.

Eleceed

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Ongoing with 300+ English episodes
Why it is essential: Found family, kinetic combat, and a cat mentor with attitude. It balances warmth and wild superpower battles better than almost any title I know. I recommend it whenever someone says they want action but not relentless grimdark.
Reading tip: The training arcs deliver wholesome payoffs. Do not skip the side stories; they deepen the core relationships.

Noblesse

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Completed with hundreds of episodes
Why it is essential: A classic that defined the medium’s global wave. Stylish, cool, and surprisingly funny amid the vampire politics. If you want to see where a lot of later series took cues, this is foundational.

Thriller and Horror That Kept Me Up at Night

Sweet Home

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Completed around the mid-hundreds of episodes
Why it is essential: Monster horror that is really about isolation, grief, and choosing to care when it is easier not to. The vertical-scroll pacing produces dread like a slow elevator drop. The adaptation is famous, but the original panels carry a different, colder edge.
Reading tip: Turn on dark mode but keep your device brightness up a notch to catch the shadow detail. The art team hides storytelling beats in silhouettes.

Bastard

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Completed under 100 episodes
Why it is essential: A near-perfect thriller. Razor-tight plotting, no filler, and a father-son dynamic that is pure terror. I finished it in two nights and recommended it to everyone I know. It sticks the landing—rare in thrillers.
Reading tip: Read this with Do Not Disturb on. Every cliffhanger is engineered to make you tap next.

Shotgun Boy and the Carnby Kim universe

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Completed short run
Why it is essential: Connected to Sweet Home thematically and in lore, but stands alone as a high school survival story with ugly, honest emotion. If you want an entry point into the authors’ broader universe, this is a lean, mean starting line.
Reading tip: There are visual echoes across the related series. Noticing them is half the fun.

The Boxer

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Completed with over 150 episodes
Why it is essential: Sports in label, psychological thriller in soul. The art pushes the vertical format to extremes—long, breathless panels that feel like a jab you did not see coming. I cannot overstate how cold and clinical some arcs feel in the best way.
Reading tip: I saved the last arc for a Saturday morning with coffee. Please do not read the final episodes half-asleep; they deserve your full attention.

Slice of Life and Romance with Real Heart

True Beauty

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Long-running with hundreds of episodes and special chapters
Why it is essential: Social media age, self-image, and a sincere coming-of-age tone. It is glossy and dramatic, yes, but also honest about the cost of trying to be someone else. I read this between heavier series as my palate cleanser.
Reading tip: The extras and author notes are delightful. They deepen the community vibe.

The Remarried Empress

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Completed or near completion in English depending on your region
Why it is essential: Court politics with razor dialogue, slow-burn romance, and satisfying character accountability. The payoff arcs for respect and agency are cathartic. If you enjoy palace intrigue, this is top shelf.
Reading tip: Pace yourself in the early court drama. The emotional dividends compound.

Marry My Husband

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Completed in English
Why it is essential: Time-reset revenge romance with clean cause-and-effect plotting. I went in for the premise and stayed for the protagonist’s methodical growth and supportive friendships. The adaptation buzz is real, but the comic’s rhythm is tighter.
Reading tip: Great entry for readers who want a shorter commitment than the mega-epics.

Painter of the Night

Platform: Lezhin Comics
Status: Ongoing in seasons with mature rating 18+
Why it is essential: Visually sumptuous, emotionally thorny BL set in historical Korea. The localization team handles period dialogue with care. Complex consent and power dynamics are central; it is not a light read, but it is crafted with intent.
Reading tip: Please check content warnings beforehand. When read thoughtfully, it is deeply affecting.

School Life and Social Drama That Hits Hard

Weak Hero

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Ongoing with hundreds of episodes
Why it is essential: Bullying, trauma, and the cost of fighting back. The choreography is surgical, yet it never forgets that violence costs something. I recommend it to readers who want human stakes without supernatural escape hatches.
Reading tip: Read arcs in blocks of five to ten episodes to feel the momentum.

Lookism

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Ongoing with 400+ episodes
Why it is essential: Body image, class mobility, and a wild blend of comedy and gritty street arcs. It sprawls, yes, but its anthology-like arcs let you jump around and still find hits. There is nothing else quite like its tonal agility.
Reading tip: If the early comedy is not your taste, skip ahead to major arcs people reference. You can always circle back.

The Horizon

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Completed short series
Why it is essential: Minimalist, devastating, and humane. Two children crossing a war-torn landscape, rendered with restraint that makes every beat land harder. When people tell me webtoons cannot do literary quiet, I hand them this.
Reading tip: One sitting. Then a walk outside to breathe.

Navillera

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Completed
Why it is essential: A 70-year-old man and ballet. Intergenerational friendship at its warmest. Whenever I feel cynical, I reread this and recalibrate. Quiet mastery.
Reading tip: Keep tissues nearby. Earned tears.

Underrated Gems I Press into Friends’ Hands

Pigpen

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Completed and short
Why it is essential: Memory loss on a remote island told with puzzle-box precision. If you like to theorize, this is snack-sized perfection. No bloat, all payoff.
Reading tip: Read late at night for maximum atmosphere.

Hell Is Other People

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Completed
Why it is essential: Urban paranoia that crawls under your skin. The apartment as a hostile organism is such a good concept, and the execution is airtight. The live-action adaptation is strong, but again, the comic’s timing is king.
Reading tip: Headphones with ambient tracks help if you like immersive reading.

My Deepest Secret

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Completed
Why it is essential: Romance thriller with an excellent unreliable narrator. It is one of the best examples of the vertical format supporting perspective tricks. I grinned every time the author pulled a new reveal.
Reading tip: Do not read comments until you finish. Spoilers everywhere.

The Sound of Your Heart

Platform: WEBTOON
Status: Massive gag strip classic
Why it is essential: Pure comedy chaos that still lands in 2025. For days when you cannot take another dark arc, this is your reset button.
Reading tip: Dip in and out between heavier series.

How I Choose What to Read Next Without Burning Out

Your tolerance for cliffhangers

If you dislike waiting, I would recommend prioritizing completed series like Bastard, Sweet Home, The Boxer, Marry My Husband, or Noblesse. For ongoing series, I often let 10–20 episodes pile up before diving back in. The difference in enjoyment is real.

Art style and paneling preferences

Clean line and kinetic action: Eleceed, Weak Hero
Painterly horror with long scrolls: Sweet Home, Pigpen
Expressive romance with fashion detail: True Beauty, The Remarried Empress
High-density worldbuilding with diagrams and systems: Tower of God, Omniscient Reader

If a style does not click by episode five, I move on without guilt. Life is short, and the catalog is vast.

Time investment and completion status

Short runs under 100 episodes are ideal for a single weekend. Mid-length series require a week or two. Long-runners are season-long companions. Labeling your queue this way prevents mood fatigue and keeps reading joyful rather than obligatory.

Community and spoiler management

I like to read comment sections but only after finishing an arc. For big series with hyperactive communities, I mute keywords on social platforms. It sounds fussy, but protecting your first-read experience is worth it.

A Quick Glossary and Platform 101 for Smooth Reading

Localization and SFX

Good English editions handle not only dialogue but also typeset SFX, cultural notes, and name conventions. When you see redrawn sound effects that match the art, that is extra work you are benefiting from. I try to support those editions with a few purchases per month—every bit signals demand for quality.

Episode length and splits

A “chapter” can range from 40 to 100+ panels in Korean. English platforms may split these into parts for pacing and monetization. It is not a scam; it lets teams keep a weekly cadence. I evaluate value by the density of story beats, not panel count alone.

Devices and reading comfort

OLED smartphones render dark palettes and neon highlights beautifully. Horror and cyberpunk pop on these screens.
Tablets around 10 inches are ideal for two-thumb scrolling and less wrist strain over long sessions.
Offline downloads exist on several apps. I pre-load episodes before flights to avoid region-lock hiccups and poor Wi‑Fi.

Payment hygiene and budgets

I never buy currency ad hoc at 2 a.m. I set a monthly cap, wait for bundle promotions, and allocate across one subscription and one coin-based platform. On average, this keeps my per-episode cost low while still supporting creators consistently.

Final Recommendations by Mood in 30 Seconds

If you want high-stakes action now

Solo Leveling
Omniscient Reader
Tower of God
Eleceed

If you want short and complete thrillers

Bastard
Sweet Home
Pigpen
Shotgun Boy

If you want romance and court intrigue

The Remarried Empress
Marry My Husband
True Beauty
Painter of the Night (with content checks)

If you want human drama with a punch

Weak Hero
Lookism
The Boxer
Navillera

In 2025, there has never been a better time to read Korean webtoons in English. The pipelines are faster, the translations are stronger, and the libraries are deep enough to lose a year in—happily. If you would like a personalized shortlist based on your favorite genres or triggers to avoid, please tell me your top three recent reads. I would be honored to point you to your next obsession.

Must-Read Korean Webtoons with English Translations