South Korean TV drama industry warns risk of collapse, seeks US$746M in support

With the number of South Korean dramas being produced in a decline from 141 titles in 2022 to about 115 in 2025, according to research by Korea IR Service cited by Reuters, their television industry associations are starting to show alarm at the downtrend which shows a risk of collapse in domestic television drama production. According to a report by Channel News Asia, twelve South Korean industry groups released a warning last November 4 and called on the government to set up a 1 trillion won (US$746 million) investment fund to support production of K-dramas. 

According to the report, three domestic broadcast networks in South Korea have already cut drama output from 91 titles in 2012 to 32 in 2023, with some channels even deciding to stop airing weekday dramas altogether.  

Groups representing industry workers including TV drama producers, directors, writers, actors, cinematographers and crew have attributed the decline in the  long-form drama production format to rising production costs, which is directly linked to having to go head-to-head with major global streaming platforms as well as the broadcasters’ reduced capacity to invest. There is also growing  competition from short-form content and AI for audiences and production.

In a 2025 report, the Korea IR Service also stated that pay for top-billed stars was the main factor of production costs, with pay grade also leveling up as streaming services competed for audience-drawing talent.  Channel News Asia also shared that Kim Yong-hee, a professor of business administration at Sun Moon University, said the difficulties the groups cited largely reflected the decline of terrestrial broadcasting rather than the sector as a whole.

Despite official date showing employment across the content industry growing to 693,090 in 2025 from 688,122, according to the Korea Creative Content Agency, employment in the broadcasting field fell 2.3 per cent in 2024, according to a government survey.