Solo Leveling Artist Dubu Passes Away

New reports from South Korea have confirmed one of its best webtoon artists has passed away. Seong-rak Jang, otherwise known as Dubu, died recently at just 40 years old. The artist was known best for co-creating Solo Leveling, a hugely popular manhwa from Korea. 

According to Redice Studio, Jang passed away from unnamed health complications which led to a cerebral hemorage. No further details were shared about the artist’s untimely death other than the fact a private funeral has taken place. The studio also refrained from commenting on how Dubu’s passing may impact Solo Leveling moving forward.

For those who do not know, Dubu oversaw the artwork on Solo Leveling since the manhwa debuted in March 2018. The series, which is written by Chugong, is now one of the most popular webtoons in the world. With a video game in development, Solo Leveling is currently planning to take on television with its very own anime. A-1 Pictures announced it was producing an anime based on Chugong and Dubu’s work a few weeks ago, so this heartbreaking news it hitting fans hard.

READ MORE: Solo Leveling Creators Share Reaction to Anime Announcement | Solo Leveling Anime Officially Announced With First Trailer

If you are not familiar with Solo Leveling, the series can be read in English courtesy of Tapas, Pocket Comic, and more. For more details on the hit webtoon, you can read up on its official synopsis below:

“Known as the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind, E-rank hunter Jinwoo Sung’s contribution to raids amounts to trying not to get killed. Unfortunately, between his mother’s hospital bills, his sister’s tuition, and his own lack of job prospects, he has no choice but to continue to put his life on the line. So when an opportunity arises for a bigger payout, he takes it…only to come face-to-face with a being whose power outranks anything he’s ever seen! With the party leader missing an arm and the only healer a quivering mess, can Jinwoo some­how find them a way out?”