Where short-form drama viewers flocked as their numbers tripled
In August this year, 2.98 million Koreans used short-form drama apps, 3.3 times the number a year earlier, and 8 of the top 10 apps were Chinese-affiliated. Separate branches cover the apps attracting viewers, Korean platforms that expanded overseas first, Korean production companies entering as suppliers, and low production costs. Revenue and revenue sharing that have yet to be disclosed are grouped in another branch.
The brief, in full
An estimated 2.98 million Koreans used the 10 major short-form drama apps during August this year, after excluding duplicate users. That is about 3.3 times the 900,000 recorded in August last year. More telling than how quickly the audience grew is which apps attracted these viewers. Of the top 10, 8 are Chinese-affiliated companies.
What is a short-form drama?#
A vertical serial with 1 to 2-minute episodes
A short-form drama is a vertically framed serial with episodes lasting around 1 to 2 minutes, with roughly 50 to just over 100 episodes making up a series. Korea's first short-form drama platform appeared in March 2024, and the fastest influx of users came after May this year.
Viewers concentrated in the top three apps#
All three exceeded 1 million users
Monthly active users (MAU) by app were led by DramaBox with 1.26 million, followed by DramaWave with 1.21 million and NetShort with 1.08 million. All three exceeded 1 million users. There is a large gap from fourth place onward. Fourth-ranked ReelShort had 330,000 users, less than a third of third-ranked NetShort's audience.
How much did the audience grow in 1 year?#
NetShort grew to more than 20 times its size
DramaBox grew from 280,000 to 1.26 million users, about 4.5 times its previous size, while DramaWave grew from 490,000 to 1.21 million, about 2.5 times. NetShort grew from 50,000 to 1.08 million, more than 20 times its previous size. A year earlier, all three apps had fewer than 500,000 users.
The distribution from fourth place onward#
From ReelShort's 330,000 to GoodShort's 70,000
From fourth place onward, the figures were ReelShort with 330,000 users, Beeglue with 300,000, Lezhin Snack with 180,000, iDrama and iQIYI with 130,000 each, MoboReels with 120,000, and GoodShort with 70,000. Hankyoreh reported that 8 of the top 10 were Chinese-affiliated, with Beeglue and Lezhin Snack the only exceptions.
How to read the 2.98 million figure#
An estimate with duplicate users removed
Adding together every app's MAU gives a total above 2.98 million. That is because one person can use several apps. The 2.98 million figure excludes duplicate users. This survey by Wiseapp Retail is an estimate calculated from a sample of Android and iOS smartphone users.
Korean platforms arrived later#
Then they headed overseas first
Korea's first short-form drama platform appeared in March 2024. It was TopReels, from gaming company Neoregion. Beeglue from Spoon Labs and Shortcha from Watcha followed that same year. Korean platforms then turned their attention overseas before focusing on the domestic market.
Lezhin Snack#
Launched in Korea, the United States, and Japan on the same day
Webtoon company Lezhin Entertainment launched Lezhin Snack simultaneously in Korea, the United States, and Japan on February 4, 2026. Its Korean MAU in August this year was 180,000, placing it sixth among the top 10 apps. Lezhin Snack and Beeglue were the only two apps in that group that were not Chinese-affiliated.
Beeglue and TopReels#
Opening an overseas office or being acquired
Beeglue opened its first overseas office in Los Angeles, United States, in December 2025, while TopReels was sold to Crisp, a global platform headquartered in the United States. Dong-A Ilbo reported that China and the United States had already captured about 90% of the global short-form drama market.
Korean production companies enter as suppliers#
They provide shows to Chinese-affiliated platforms
Korean production companies are making up for lost ground in platform competition by supplying shows. Dong-A Ilbo reported that many Korean production companies are entering the market by supplying shows to Chinese-affiliated platforms such as DramaBox and ReelShort.
10 million views within 4 days of release#
Chinese-affiliated platforms localize with lead actors
"Stormy Married Life," starring Lee Sang-yeob and released on DramaBox in September 2025, recorded 10 million views within 4 days of release. Chinese-affiliated platforms localize their shows by bringing in actors who play leading roles in terrestrial television dramas. From mid-2025, DramaBox cast Lee Sang-yeob, Park Han-byul, Kim Jung-eun, and others in succession.
KT Studio Genie#
A production system delivering 56 titles annually
"The Cleaner's Second Marriage" and "The Chance Encounters Clubhouse," released by KT Studio Genie in January 2026, ranked first in popularity on DramaBox and ReelShort, respectively. The company said it had established a production system capable of delivering 56 titles annually.
A format that depends on inexpensive production#
Production costs must stay low
Short-form dramas depend on low production costs. According to Dong-A Ilbo, a new actor's total pay for a Korean short-form drama is reportedly around KRW 5 million to 10 million. The industry's view is that this still makes it difficult to cast top actors.
Reducing production costs with AI#
About 20% for scenes, with a target above 40% overall
KT Studio Genie said it was using AI in some productions to cut the cost of scenes such as drone shots and shots featuring large numbers of vehicles by about 20%. Its goal is to reduce total production costs by more than 40%. In this structure, unit costs must come down before the number of titles supplied can increase.
Directors, investors, and distributors are starting to enter#
Director Lee Byeong-heon, Showbox, TVING
Top actors still appear infrequently, but established directors have begun participating. Director Lee Byeong-heon of Extreme Job released "My Guy Friend Is the Baby's Father" on Lezhin Snack, and Showbox announced its first short-form drama production in January 2026. Korean OTT service TVING also entered this market with "TVING Short Original."
What remains unknown#
Revenue and the production companies' share
User numbers can be verified, but no public data shows each app's revenue or the share that goes to production companies. A tripling of the audience does not mean Korean production companies' earnings also tripled.
Market size projections depend on the criteria#
USD 26 billion globally, about KRW 650 billion in Korea
Media Partners Asia projected that global short-form drama revenue would grow from USD 5 billion in 2023 to USD 26 billion in 2030. Kakao Ventures estimated the Korean market in 2024 at about KRW 650 billion. These two projections differ in scope and criteria, making direct comparison difficult.
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