[DigitalToday reporter Seulgi Son] KT Studio Genie said on Feb. 9 that its short-form dramas "The Janitor's Second Marriage" and "Jamanchu Clubhouse," released in January, ranked No. 1 in popularity immediately after release on DramaBox and ReelShort, two major global short-form drama platforms.

The achievement is being viewed as an example showing that planning and storytelling capabilities built through long-form drama production are also effective in short-form content.

The global short-form drama market is growing. According to market research firm Media Partners Asia, short-form drama revenue is expected to grow from $5.0 billion in 2023 to $26.0 billion by 2030. Kakao Ventures' internal estimate puts the domestic short-form drama market at about 650.0 billion won as of 2024.

KT Studio Genie has begun preparing a short-form business to target global markets in line with these market trends. It declared its positioning as a "short-form specialist studio" through a media day in April last year, and in July held a short-form drama script contest in cooperation with DramaBox.

KT Studio Genie's core strength is a "short-form studio model" that internalises the entire process from investment to production and distribution. It will present a total of 56 original short-form dramas a year. It also secured a stable production pipeline through production partnerships with key short-form specialist producers such as New Universe and Pullim.

It established a fast track that allows "global expansion immediately upon release" by working with major global platforms including DramaBox, ReelShort, GoodShort, ShortMax and iQIYI International. In South Korea, it has also secured distribution networks at home and abroad totalling 30 through cooperation with TVING, Vigloo and Lezhin Snack (Lezhin Entertainment), among others.

Oh Gi-je (오기제), an executive director at KT Studio Genie, said, "Short-form will go beyond snack culture and 자리 잡을 것" and added, "Through global mega IP remakes and full AI short-form production, we will newly define the global standard of K-short-form."