‘My Daughter is a Zombie’ creator Lee Younchang Manila-bound

Korean webtoon creator Lee Younchang is set to meet Filipino fans and aspiring artists as one of the featured guests of the 2026 Korean Film Festival, where he will share insights into the booming world of webtoon storytelling.

Known for creating the hit webtoon My Daughter is a Zombie, which was later adapted into a feature film, Lee will headline the festival’s Meet the Mentor: Webtoon Artist program alongside acclaimed Filipino graphic novelist Arnold Arre. Their participation underscores this year’s festival theme, “K-Story: Stories that Move Us,” which highlights how stories evolve across literature, webtoons and cinema.

On 6 August, Lee and Arre will take part in a Philippines-Korea Talkback Session at the Cinematheque Centre Manila, where they will discuss the growing influence of visual storytelling and the cultural exchange between Korean webtoons and Filipino graphic novels.

The following day, 7 August, Lee will lead a hands-on Webtoon Workshop at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, giving aspiring illustrators and storytellers the opportunity to learn directly from one of South Korea’s leading webtoon creators. Those interested in joining may register through the festival’s official sign-up page.

Lee’s appearance forms part of the expanded program of the 2026 Korean Film Festival, organized by the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines. Beyond its traditional screenings, this year’s edition also features a student short film competition and a lineup of Korean movies inspired by bestselling webtoons and literary works.

Among the featured films is My Daughter is a Zombie, allowing festivalgoers to see how Lee’s original webtoon was transformed for the big screen. Other titles include Your Letter, Love in the Big City, Omniscient Reader and Yumi’s Cells: The Movie.

The 2026 Korean Film Festival will run from 7 to 9 August at participating SM Cinemas in SM Mall of Asia, SM North EDSA, SM City Iloilo and SM Lanang.