The South Korean Drama production industry is known around the world for its captivating storytelling and high-quality visual effects; however, within the industry, there exists a number of hidden issues that impact producers, performers, and crew members. From rising production costs to arduous working conditions, here are seven issues faced by this popular entertainment sector, culled from various studies surrounding this issue.

1. Increasing Production Costs and Actor Remuneration

According to a report from Kpopmap, as the pay scale for acting talent continues to rise, so too has the increase in production costs associated with this higher form of compensation. Leading star actors can now demand upwards of 1 billion won per episode (or US$850,000) as a result of the financial strength of global streaming services; thus, contributing to the overall decline of domestic television networks' ability to invest in creating new programs due to the continued decrease of advertising revenues.

2. The Urgency in the Live-Shooting System

K-drames tend to include a "live shoot," in which episodes are written, filmed, and edited a few days prior to their broadcast; while offering adaptability concerning audience reaction, it has caused chaos for many episodes, resulting in episodes not being scripted or halted production, although it has become less preferred due to the prevalence of pre-made content on streaming websites.

3. Working for Long Hours & Working Conditions

For example, typical workweeks for producers exceed an average 56 hours, whereas there are legal restrictions on workweeks for producers. In other countries outside of the USA, workweeks cannot exceed 40 hours. Some productions also work as many as 27-32 hours consecutively. This culture contributes to the weakness and ill-health associated with the industry's very competitive environment but measures such as the 52-hour workweek limit seek to restore that.

4. Decrease in Overall Drama Productions

The number of K-dramas being produced per year has fallen too, from 135 in 2022 to 125 in 2023, with forecasts suggesting this will reduce to just 100, as per Koreabiz Wire. The reason for this is economic stress on broadcast channels, as well as local SVODs cutting their number of original productions by half, with overseas behemoths such as Netflix pressing on with an uptick in productions.

5. Change to Less Number of Episodes in Series

The need for more compressed, faster-paced storytelling has resulted in series with 8-12 episodes, down from the 16-20 shows typically produced, partly due to the impact of binge-watching on services such as Netflix, Disney+, and similar platforms. Although this cuts the amount of filler episodes, funding problems arise.

6. Censorship and Content Restrictions

Also in South Korea, the press and broadcasting laws regulate content that includes things like sharp objects, smoking, and foreign brands in order to prevent some viewers from being encouraged or urged towards unhealthy conduct, as enforced by organizations like the Korea Communications Standards Commission. Programs that are controversial are either banned or cut due to things like inaccuracy in history or topics that are sensitive. Examples include shows like "Snowdrop" and "Joseon Exorcist."

7. On-Set Safety and Ethical Concerns

Soompi noted that the fast production rate is one reason for accidents and injuries; moreover, the live shoot system sometimes favors time over safety. Lastly, the cast's behavior has come under criticism for being disrespectful, such as shooting videos where they are not supposed to, as well as causing damage to cultural sites.