Actor Son Suk-ku in a scene from the movie "Night Fishing" (2024) / Courtesy of Tving

Office worker Park Seung-jin, 28, binge-watches an entire drama series during her 20-minute commute. She does this by watching multiple short-form videos, which are about one minute long and summarizes the highlights of each 60-minute episode.

These videos, often called "short dramas," allow her to grasp the overall plot.

"I felt it was a waste of time to binge-watch popular dramas. I even speed up the already 1.5x speed of videos that compress 16-episode dramas into one hour," she said.

Many young Koreans are turning away from traditional long-form entertainment, opting instead for quick, easily digestible snippets of content. As platforms like YouTube and Instagram increasingly nudge users toward short-form content, defined by videos that are under a minute, this shift in viewing habits is redefining how people consume media and engage with stories.

Similarly, Park Jong-hyuk, 28, usually watches short-form content with movie clips for 30 minutes to an hour at a time.

"The reason I watch them is that the apps seem to automatically guide users to the Shorts button when I open YouTube or Instagram. Rather than actively searching for them, I just watch whatever pops up," he said.

Ha Min-ji, a 25-year-old job seeker, spends about two to three hours a day watching short-form content while commuting by subway. She watches whatever content the algorithm suggests.

"It's convenient because I don't have to choose what video to watch. I think choosing what video to watch is also a chore," she said, adding that she even enjoys watching original short dramas, because of the "brief, relatable episodes without a complicated plot."

A promotional image for Watcha's short-form platform Shortcha / Captured from Google Play Store

The rise of short-form content is reshaping the entertainment landscape, particularly among younger generations. What began as casual clips on social media has transformed into a thriving industry, with dedicated platforms and original content across various genres.

A survey conducted by the Korea Communications Commission and the Korea Association for ICT Promotion, released on Monday, clearly shows this trend. The proportion of short-form content among the types of streaming services that people use most has significantly increased from 58.1 percent in 2023 to 70.7 percent in 2024. This is in contrast to other types of content such as original programs and movies on streaming sites, which have shown only slight increases or decreases of around 5 percent.

The success of short films like the 12-minute "Night Fishing" (2024), starring Son Suk-ku, has shown the potential of short-form content this year. The 1,000 won ($0.7) film, initially planned for a two-week run in local CGV theaters was even extended, attracting 40,000 viewers. This success prompted CGV to launch the "Deep Dive: Winter" campaign, featuring three 15-minute ASMR experiences for 1,000 won.

Streaming platforms also announced the launch of their short-form services.

Watcha released Shortcha, a dedicated short-form drama service, in September 2024. This service offers bite-sized dramas in under a minute. It features content from various countries such as Korea, China, Japan and the United States, including a new series, "I Became a Cult Leader's Wife" (direct translation), which will be released early this year.

Tving also introduced a short-form service in December. Users can seamlessly switch between full-length and short-form content within the app. The service initially focused on video highlights from its extensive library, including original series, dramas, variety shows, educational programs and KBO League baseball games and pro basketball games. Tving plans to launch original short-form content within this year.

Short-form platform PulsePick's original series "Single Man and Woman" / Courtesy of PulsePick

In addition, dedicated short-form platforms such as Top Reels and PulsePick were launched in April and December last year. Focusing on fast-paced, two-minute dramas, these platforms have attracted significant viewership. PulsePic, a platform of PulseClip, backed by the creators of the hit webtoon "Solo Leveling," offers a wider range of content, including variety shows.

The platform is expanding its short-form content library, with the successful launch of shows like the variety program "Charlie Kim's Laughter Factory," starring comedian Kim Jun-ho, and "Single Man and Woman" (literal translation), starring Yoon Hyun-min.

Concerns grow over boom

Experts agree that the rise of short-form entertainment in today's media landscape is a natural evolution. However, they express concerns about certain aspects of this trend.

Culture critic Jung Duk-hyun said, "It's natural for content formats and content itself to change when new media emerges. Just as we used to watch movies only on the big screen but now have daily content like dramas and series with the advent of TV, it's the same with the emergence of new forms of content. Currently, since this is the early stage of new content emerging, there are many stimulating contents to attract attention, but I don't think only such content will continue to be produced in the future."

Yun Suk-jin, a culture critic and professor at Chungnam National University, offered a balanced perspective on the booming short-form content market. He argued that the shift toward short-form content is largely driven by economic pressures, as traditional, longer-form content has become increasingly difficult to produce profitably.

Short-form platform PulsePick's original variety show "Charlie Kim's Laughter Factory" / Courtesy of PulsePick

While short-form content offers a relatively low barrier of entry, Yun expressed concerns about the quality and sustainability of such content.

"Ensuring the quality of short-form content is a challenge. While short, attention-grabbing content is easy to produce, it's difficult to create something that is both enjoyable and sustainable. To compete effectively, creators must focus on developing strong narratives within a shorter format, balancing immediate gratification with overall storytelling," he said.

As for the unexpected success of short film "Night Fishing," Yun argued that it is more of a reflection of renewed interest in short-form storytelling rather than the creation of an entirely new market.

"While the term 'short-form' may be new, the concept of short films and independent films has existed for a long time," he said.

Though he is not convinced that this shift is entirely positive, but the professor does believe there's a valuable market for short-form content.

"The key is to find a way to strengthen its competitive position. It's short-sighted to focus solely on short-term profits. Building a sustainable business requires long-term planning and investment. Unfortunately, many production companies aren't investing in the necessary infrastructure," he said.