Now, if you ever been wonderin’ if them Korean drama writers belong to a company or what, let me tell ya, it’s a bit complicated but not too hard to understand. Ya see, most Korean dramas, they ain’t just whipped up by one person sittin’ in a room somewhere. Nope, it’s often a whole team that’s involved, sometimes backed by big companies, but it ain’t always a straightforward path.
First off, let’s talk about these companies behind the scenes. Some of them writers do work with production companies, like Studio Dragon. This here Studio Dragon, it’s one of the big names in the Korean drama world. They don’t just make dramas on their own—they gather writers, directors, and all sorts of folks to put together these shows. But does that mean all Korean drama writers are hired by companies like Studio Dragon? Not exactly. Some writers are freelancers, workin’ from show to show, hired for their talent on specific projects. So, ya got both types—some writers with companies, some not.
Now, let’s look at why these companies exist in the first place. For one, big ol’ companies like to make sure the dramas can actually get made. They handle money stuff, production costs, and sometimes even marketing, ‘specially now with Netflix and such gettin’ in the mix. With the popularity of Korean dramas goin’ up worldwide, ya got platforms like Netflix and Disney+ putting in money to make sure there’s more shows comin’ out. They need these production companies to manage things and bring in talented writers and directors who know what they’re doin’. So, these companies are kinda like a support system.
Alright, but what about the writers themselves? Most of the time, ya got one main writer workin’ on each drama, and that’s kinda special in Korean dramas. Compared to America, where ya might see a whole room full of writers workin’ on a TV show, in Korea, it’s often one person or a small team behind the script. This here writer has a lotta control over the story, the characters, and even some of the dialogue style. It’s a big responsibility, and lemme tell ya, it ain’t easy. They get paid per episode, and if they’re well-known, they might get up to 2 million won or so, which is around $1,700. But it ain’t always steady work, so it can be a bit of a rough ride for some of these writers.
How do these writers fit into the bigger picture, then? Well, when the writer is workin’ with a company like Studio Dragon or CJ ENM, they have more support. The company takes care of all the bits and pieces—like production schedules, securing places to shoot, hiring other folks, and all that jazz. But not all writers are tied to one company. Some are hired on contracts just for one drama, and when that’s done, they move on to the next gig. And that means there’s still a lot of freelance writers in the business, lookin’ for their next job once one drama wraps up.
Now, it’s interestin’ how these companies make money, too. Big channels or platforms get most of the money from ads when they first air the drama in South Korea. Sometimes, just the ads alone bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars! The production company and sometimes the writer get a cut of the money when the drama sells overseas or has product placements. That’s why ya see all those scenes with certain brands in them—those companies paid for it to be there!
Then, we got the influence of foreign platforms like Netflix. These platforms have brought a whole new way of doin’ business to the Korean drama industry. Netflix puts in its own money to make Korean dramas and sometimes has its own requirements. That’s why ya might see some Korean dramas on Netflix that have a different style or even different story elements—they gotta appeal to folks outside Korea, too.
So, to sum it all up, not every Korean drama writer is part of a company. Some are, especially when big names like Studio Dragon are involved. But there’s plenty of freelance writers who work on different dramas without being tied to one single company. And with platforms like Netflix gettin’ in the mix, it’s a changin’ industry. But one thing’s for sure—whether they’re workin’ with a big company or goin’ solo, them writers work hard to bring us all those unforgettable stories!
Tags：[Korean Drama, Screenwriters, Production Companies, Studio Dragon, Netflix Influence]
