Kakao Entertainment will begin a webtoon sequel to the popular Netflix monster original “Gyeongseong Creature,” the company said Friday.

The webtoon, titled “Gyeongseong Creature — The Unwithering Flower,” will be released on Jan. 20 in Korea on Kakao Webtoon and later in other regions, including the United States, Canada, Thailand, Taiwan and Indonesia, according to Kakao Entertainment.

The sequel centers around the protagonist Geum-ran, who undergoes a mutation that gives her super intelligence. She battles against a conspiracy with her ally, Byeong-gil.

The two protagonists were created exclusively for the webtoon.

Characters from the Netflix drama series, such as Chae-ok, a specialist in finding missing people who was played by Han So-hee, and General Kato, the military chief at a hospital who was played by Choi Young-jun, will also appear to tie the sequel into the streaming series.

The story will take place on the imaginary island of Manwol-do, a different setting from the original drama, to weave a new saga, according to Kakao Entertainment.

“Gyeongseong Creature,” which landed at No. 3 globally on Netflix’s rankings last month, has topped domestic rankings and made it to the top 10 lists in 20 countries, including Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and India.

The first season of the series was released on Netflix on Dec. 22, 2023. The remaining episodes of season one will be released on Friday. The second season of the drama is under way.

BY LEE CHAE-MIN [lee.chaemin1@joongang.co.kr]