”There is no work''...Actors heading to variety shows due to TV series recession

The drama industry has begun to hit the margins and actors have nowhere to stand. Actors Lee Jang-woo, Han Ye-seul, Ko Hyun-jung and other leading actors sighed at the recession in the drama market.

As the number of drama productions declines, actors are turning to variety shows and Youtube performances for self-salvation.

Lee Jang-woo, who was dubbed the 'prince of weekend dramas' after appearing in numerous hit weekend dramas, confessed that he 'really wants to do dramas' and that he is 'growing, dieting and doing what I can'. KBS is the only broadcaster currently maintaining weekend dramas; MBC and SBS discontinued weekend dramas after My Love Healing Chronicles (2019) and Watachi no Kapusun (2016). Instead, mini-series-style Friday-Saturday dramas are being organised and broadcast, but as the viewing targets are different, the casting of the actors in these dramas has to be adapted accordingly. For this reason, actors who had been cast according to the weekend drama viewing demographic have had a narrower range of appearances.

Han Ye-seul, who has had a break from acting since the 2019 drama Big Issue, confided that he wants to do dramas and films and that he wants to greet the public with a new look as an actor. Koh Hyun-jung, who became a top star as soon as she debuted and was ranked No. 1 in offers, also stressed her thirst for acting, saying that she "doesn't get any work" and that she "wants to work with good actors even if the fee is reduced". The same goes for Kim Haneul, who appeared in Happy Together, Romance and A Gentleman's Dignity and had a hit with each film. She said, "I used to get a lot of productions and say, 'I want to take some time off', but now the number of productions has decreased" and "I gradually feel that it is important to have scripts coming in".

The drama industry is going through a recession, with K-content receiving global attention and global OTTs emerging as its growing pains. Compared to the size of the domestic market in Korea, production costs and actors have skyrocketed, and the slump in TV drama productions has had the side-effect of disappearing productions.

As the number of drama productions declines, actors are opting for side jobs instead of acting as their core business. The fields of work are diverse, ranging from variety to Youtube, musicals and theatre.

Actor Lee Jang-woo, who confided that he wanted to appear in a drama, also has a regular role in MBC's 'I Live Alone' and has also opened and is running a Youtube channel. Han Ye-seul also communicates with his fans on his Youtube channel.

Apart from the above, actor Yoo Yeon-seok has been working with Yoo Jae-seok as an MC for SBS's 'If only there was a gap', and is also involved in variety activities. Actress Han Ga-in tried her hand at a travel reality show through tvN's 'Outside the Tent is Europe'. Jo Jung Suk will debut as a singer through a new Netflix variety show.

A source from an actor management company said, "There are fewer dramas currently in production and the actors are having a lot of trouble with their activities" and that they are "looking for other content to appear in, such as variety shows and performances, as there are fewer opportunities to do rounds".

As actors' variety activities increased, the variety industry also experienced an increase in sighs. This is because the talent's place is shared with the actors.

A source from an entertainment company with a large number of talent members said, "Actors are getting into variety shows more and more, and the talent is having a lot of trouble" and confided, "Comedy shows are disappearing and variety shows are decreasing, but if actors are taking their place, what about the talent?

A source from another entertainment company said, "I would be happy if the production market, which is currently going through a transitional period, finds a stable period and the time comes when actors move into acting and talent moves into variety shows" and that "there should be less crossing over and taking up space".