Imbalance Crisis in Korean Drama Industry: Over 100 TV Dramas Unable to Air

According to South Korean media, the Korean drama industry is currently facing a crisis due to an oversupply of dramas exceeding the demand, resulting in over 100 dramas being unable to secure broadcasting platforms.

Several dramas that wrapped up production a year ago, such as Han Shigui's 'Long Night', Park Chi-ho's 'Super Sensing Detective', and Che Reun-pyo's 'People at the Blue House', have recently not been included in the broadcast schedule.

As a result, the number of dramas produced by production companies next year may decrease to one-third of this year's count. Casting agencies express concerns, stating, 'Supporting actors and extras who rely on acting for a living are worried about losing their jobs.'

Due to the uncertainty in broadcast scheduling, attempts to discover innovative content and new talents are gradually diminishing.

Industry insiders from drama production companies reveal that the production cost per episode has risen to 1.5 billion Korean won (approximately 8.3 million Chinese yuan), but completed dramas may not necessarily be publicly broadcasted. Therefore, they have to rely on producing popular genres like romance and thriller, as well as relying on star power.

One insider states, 'It is difficult to produce high-quality works other than the main productions. This is an opportunity for the drama market to break the previous mold and develop new revenue structures, content, and planning.'