Kyungbae Lim
Description
Kyungbae Lim, also known by the pen name YKB, is a South Korean writer recognized as the original creator of the web novel Latna Saga: Survival of a Sword King, which has been adapted into a manhwa and an upcoming anime. Born in Seoul in January 1978, Lim initially studied Japanese Language and Literature at Chung-Ang University before transferring to Soongsil University, where he pursued Creative Writing. His career as a writer began in the late 1990s, with his first web novel, Karsearin, serialized on Korean bulletin board systems in 1998 and published in print in 1999.
Lim is primarily known as the author of web novels that have been adapted into the webtoon format. His most recognized work in English-speaking markets is Latna Saga: Survival of a Sword King, which he wrote as a web novel serialized on the digital platform KakaoPage from September 2018 to July 2019. This story follows Ryu Han-bin, a man transported to a fantasy world where a broken system traps him in a brutal tutorial for decades. The web novel was later adapted into a manhwa illustrated by Soon-Q Kwon, which has been serialized since December 2019 and published in English by Tapas. A Japanese-South Korean anime adaptation produced by Studio Pierrot and Red Dog Culture House has been announced.
Beyond Latna Saga, Lim's bibliography includes a range of fantasy works dating back to the late 1990s. He wrote the web novel Karsearin, which was later adapted into the webtoon Karsearin: Adventures of a Red Dragon. Other notable web novels by Lim include The Creature, In Dreams, Helix - The Demon Predator, Time Slip of Fist King, Enter the Other World Reloaded, and The Necromancer Lord, Karnak.
Recurring elements in Lim's work often involve protagonists navigating fantasy worlds, frequently employing isekai or reincarnation themes. The original web novel for Karsearin, for instance, is noted for its perspective of a dragon rather than a human. A fan-maintained wiki page describes his early work as sneering at harsh reality and an absurd society through a cynical perspective.
Lim's significance in the industry is tied to his early adoption of online serialization in the late 1990s, which predates the modern web novel and webtoon boom. His work on Latna Saga is also notable as the first project announced under a new business alliance between Japanese animation giant Studio Pierrot and Korean studio Red Dog Culture House, marking a significant cross-border collaboration to adapt Korean webtoon IP into Japanese-produced anime for the global market.
Lim is primarily known as the author of web novels that have been adapted into the webtoon format. His most recognized work in English-speaking markets is Latna Saga: Survival of a Sword King, which he wrote as a web novel serialized on the digital platform KakaoPage from September 2018 to July 2019. This story follows Ryu Han-bin, a man transported to a fantasy world where a broken system traps him in a brutal tutorial for decades. The web novel was later adapted into a manhwa illustrated by Soon-Q Kwon, which has been serialized since December 2019 and published in English by Tapas. A Japanese-South Korean anime adaptation produced by Studio Pierrot and Red Dog Culture House has been announced.
Beyond Latna Saga, Lim's bibliography includes a range of fantasy works dating back to the late 1990s. He wrote the web novel Karsearin, which was later adapted into the webtoon Karsearin: Adventures of a Red Dragon. Other notable web novels by Lim include The Creature, In Dreams, Helix - The Demon Predator, Time Slip of Fist King, Enter the Other World Reloaded, and The Necromancer Lord, Karnak.
Recurring elements in Lim's work often involve protagonists navigating fantasy worlds, frequently employing isekai or reincarnation themes. The original web novel for Karsearin, for instance, is noted for its perspective of a dragon rather than a human. A fan-maintained wiki page describes his early work as sneering at harsh reality and an absurd society through a cynical perspective.
Lim's significance in the industry is tied to his early adoption of online serialization in the late 1990s, which predates the modern web novel and webtoon boom. His work on Latna Saga is also notable as the first project announced under a new business alliance between Japanese animation giant Studio Pierrot and Korean studio Red Dog Culture House, marking a significant cross-border collaboration to adapt Korean webtoon IP into Japanese-produced anime for the global market.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview