Crash landing for K-dramas? Waning output threatens genre’s future

Twelve South Korean ⁠industry groups ⁠urged the government ⁠on Wednesday to invest in and support production of Korean television dramas, known as K-dramas, warning that the country’s production ‌base risked collapse.

K-dramas have been hugely popular globally, but the number produced has fallen about 30 per cent from 141 titles in 2022, according to the Korea Drama Production Association.

Three domestic ⁠broadcast networks cut drama output from 91 titles in ‌2012 to 32 in 2023, and some channels had stopped airing weekday ‌dramas altogether, the groups, which represent industry workers ⁠including ⁠television drama producers, directors, writers, actors, cinematographers and crew, said.

The ‌groups attributed the slump in production to rising production costs, ‌which they ‌linked to competition with well-funded global streaming ‌platforms, broadcasters’ reduced capacity to invest and difficulty ⁠securing intellectual property rights.

They said advertising income alone could ⁠no longer recoup production costs, meaning cutting output had become the rational choice for ‌broadcasters.

The groups criticised ‌the government’s 2027 draft budget, which will cut the culture ministry’s broadcast-video funding by 4.5 billion won (US$3.35 million).