Short-form video dramas, bite-sized entertainment made popular by platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, are gaining momentum in South Korea. These dramas consist of 30 to 100 episodes, each lasting 1 to 2 minutes.
Spoon Labs, which owns the short-form drama platform Vigloo, is leading this trend. The most popular K-drama on Vigloo is “Tendering Resignation,” a mystery Girls Love (GL) drama based on a popular webtoon.
The plot follows Oh Geum-hee, who works at Wooyeon Trade, a company founded by her childhood friend Kang Tae-ri. One day, a new employee mistakenly assumes the two women are a lesbian couple after witnessing them hugging each other and resigns. Yoo Bora, a highly qualified new hire, joins the company to replace the employee. Yoo Bora reveals that she was fired from her previous job for being a lesbian and immediately shows interest in Geum-hee.
Although the drama deals with sensitive themes around sexual minorities, which mainstream media does not often depict, its fast-paced plot and strong characters have made it a fan favorite.
Since these dramas need to captivate viewers by offering compelling content in just 1 to 2 minutes, many rely on provocative, character-driven stories to hook viewers quickly and encourage them to pay for additional episodes. Popular shows on Vigloo include “Crush on Zombie,” “I’m Dating an Outcast,” and “Ban the Nineteens.”
Short-form dramas follow a revenue model similar to webtoon platforms. The first 5 to 10 episodes are free, but viewers must either pay for additional episodes or watch ads to continue. On Vigloo, for instance, watching a 50-episode drama can cost 13,900 won ($9.5).
Given that short-form dramas can be produced in 2 to 4 weeks with a budget of 100 to 200 million won per episode, they are becoming an attractive venture for both content creators and platforms. By comparison, even the most low-budget dramas typically cost at least 20 to 30 billion won per episode. Production companies, broadcasters, and streaming platforms are increasingly turning to variety shows and other content with higher investment returns than traditional K-dramas.
Krafton, a Korean video game publisher, invested 120 billion won ($88 million) in Vigloo operator Spoon Labs last month. Krafton said the decision to invest was driven “by the growth potential of the short-form video drama market,” which is led by the U.S. and China.
Spoon Labs, which owns an audio platform called Spoon, rebranded as Spoon Labs in July when it officially launched Vigloo. The company is focusing on offering original (self-produced) K-dramas, aiming to launch 120 original series by the end of this year and expand into overseas markets like Japan and the U.S.
Fox Media launched Korea’s first short-form drama platform, TopReels, last April. In September, streaming platform Watcha introduced Shortcha, a vertical-format content optimized for mobile viewing. Copus Korea, DNC Media, and Ridi are also gearing up to enter the short-form drama market.
The global short-form drama market is gaining traction. China’s market was valued at 37.4 billion yuan (6.9 trillion won) last year, accounting for 70% of the country’s film market, according to Shinhan Securities. In the U.S., the top 10 short-form platforms generated $380 billion (7.8 trillion won) between January and August this year, growing 20-fold from the previous year.
The shift toward short-form content comes as viewers increasingly seek fast-paced, digestible entertainment as attention spans shrink. YouTube’s recent decision to extend the maximum length of its Shorts to three minutes has sparked expectations that short-form dramas will become a mainstream entertainment format.
“The rising popularity of short-form content reflects the changing viewing habits of audiences seeking instant gratification in shorter time spans,” said an industry insider.
