Renowned Directors and Actors Move into Short-Form Dramas

Can short-form dramas become the next major trend in the content market? With renowned directors and top-tier actors jumping in, the sector is showing steep growth.

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The Korean drama industry, which had been looking toward overseas co-productions, such as collaborations with Japan, to escape a prolonged domestic downturn, is now rapidly converging on short-form dramas as a new battleground. Once regarded as the domain of rookie actors or dismissed as 'B-grade content', the market is now seeing prominent directors and A-list actors officially throwing their hats into the ring.

The most notable change is the increased weight of the directing talent. Lee Byeong-heon-I, the director behind the ten-million-admission blockbuster "Extreme Job", is unveiling "My Baby's Daddy Is A Boy Friend", the launch title for the new short-drama platform Lezhin Snack. Veteran auteur Lee Joon-ik, known for films such as "The Book of Fish" and "The King and the Clown", is also taking on the challenge with the short drama "Father's Home Cooking".

The influx of high-profile directors has naturally led to an influx of actors. Well-known leads from films and TV dramas, including Byun Yo-han and Kim Beom, have joined the upcoming short-drama lineup in large numbers.

Actor Lee Sang-yeob, in particular, has emerged as a 'first mover' in the market, with recent scenes gaining attention on online communities. Amid a cast that can sometimes feel inexperienced, his professional performance stood out, reinforcing the view that short-form dramas, too, require solid acting to succeed.

While the market is expanding, production infrastructure remains underdeveloped. According to industry insiders, the per-episode production costs of short dramas are significantly lower than those of conventional series. Given their brief runtimes, even when total episodes are combined, lead actors' fees still fall short of established market standards.

Even so, the reasons veterans are heading into this space are clear. As the downturn in traditional broadcast and OTT markets drags on, many see short-form dramas as a chance to stake an early claim in a "future blue ocean". In particular, increasing capital inflows into Korea's short-drama market are rapidly reshaping the platform landscape.

A production company representative said, "Money is flowing into the short-drama market. While production budgets are relatively small compared to films or TV dramas, the short cycle from production to release allows creators to gauge market reactions almost immediately, which is a major appeal".

Another content industry insider added, "With the entry of well-known directors and actors, the production environment itself is changing. Unlike earlier short dramas that emphasized purely sensational fun, we're now seeing high-quality scripts that manage to deliver both message and entertainment within a very limited runtime".