South Korean K-drama groups warn of collapse, press government for funding

Twelve South Korean industry groups took their case to the government on Nov 4, demanding state investment in K-drama production and warning the country's drama-making base is at risk of collapse. The coalition covers producers, directors, writers, actors, cinematographers and crew. Output has already slid roughly 30% from 141 titles in 2022, according to the Korea Drama Production Association.

The broadcast numbers are stark. Three domestic networks aired 91 drama titles in 2012. By 2023, that count stood at 32. Some channels have stopped airing weekday dramas altogether, the groups said.

So why the squeeze? The groups blame climbing production costs, fueled by competition with well-funded global streaming platforms, alongside broadcasters' shrinking capacity to invest and the difficulty of securing intellectual property rights. Advertising income alone no longer covers what a drama costs to make. For broadcasters, they argue, cutting output became the rational move.

The groups also aimed at the government's 2027 draft budget, which would trim the culture ministry's broadcast-video funding by 4.5 billion won (S$4.29 million). Support and investment are what they want, not cuts.

The stakes stretch well beyond Seoul's airwaves. K-dramas are one of the country's most visible cultural exports, and the global hits that ride on them depend on the production base underneath. Let that base buckle, the groups warn, and the pipeline goes with it. Reuters reported the appeal.