The joint press conference on the K-drama industry crisis | Photo: Yonhap
The people who make K-dramas are sounding the alarm.
On November 4, twelve drama industry groups, including the Korea Drama Production Association, the Korean Broadcasting Association and the Korea TV and Radio Writers Association, held a joint press conference at the Korea Press Center in Seoul. They warned that "the foundation of K-drama production is in danger of withering away" and called on the government and the National Assembly for long-term investment and support.
According to the associations, the number of Korean dramas produced has fallen by about 30 percent in just two years, from 141 titles in 2022. Drama slots on the three major broadcasters, KBS, MBC and SBS, dropped from 91 in 2012 to 32 in 2023, and several channels have stopped airing weekday dramas altogether.
The groups blamed a combination of factors: production costs driven up by global streaming platforms, broadcasters cutting back on dramas as ad revenue falls, and production companies struggling to secure IP rights and follow-up revenue.
Song Byung Joon, head of the Korea Drama Production Association | Photo: Yonhap
"When the number of productions falls, jobs disappear, and once a production scene collapses, it's very hard to rebuild," said Song Byung Joon, head of the Korea Drama Production Association. "This isn't the time to look back on past glory, but to look ahead to the next 10 years."
Writer Park Hae Young, known for My Mister and My Liberation Notes, also spoke. "There isn't a single production company or broadcaster in Korea that can make a drama with its own money anymore," she said. "All of the assistant writers on my team are out of work, and storytellers are moving to other fields like webtoons and games."
The groups made three main demands: a national policy goal to restore the annual number of drama productions, a long-term K-drama investment and support system worth 1 trillion won (about $745 million), and a government-wide response involving the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the broadcasting regulator and the National Assembly. Their plan proposes 200 billion won a year for five years, with the government covering half the cost of producing about 40 mid- to low-budget dramas a year and broadcasters and platforms covering the rest.
They also urged global streaming services to share IP profits with Korean producers and come to the negotiating table. "More important than one global mega-hit out of 100 is the other 99 that gather talent and guarantee jobs," Song said.
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