Chungchuk return journey slots vanish..AI short-form surges as new 'killing time' [★FOCUS]

*This content was translated by AI.

The scenery of holiday return journeys is gradually changing. More people are filling travel time by scrolling through short videos one by one inside KTX trains, express buses, or cars rather than watching a full-length movie. Recently, short-form dramas created using generative AI (artificial intelligence) have emerged as new 'killing time' content.

AI short-form videos pack a complete story into clips lasting from dozens of seconds to just a few minutes at most. Themes range from romances between chaebol heirs and Cinderella figures to revenge dramas and fantasy tales. As soon as one story ends, the next begins immediately.

Notably, AI short-forms feature scenes that would be burdensome to produce with actual filming. Exotic spaces rarely seen in reality, costumes and settings from period dramas unfold within these brief videos. Nable Company Kang Da-hae (CEO), which manages IP for short-form dramas and handles global distribution, explained about AI short-forms: "In the past, backgrounds or scales that were impossible to film due to production costs are now expanding significantly in terms of genre and setting."

The presence of AI short-forms is also growing in overseas markets. KT Studio Genie's short-form business team Park Ji-hun (Team Lead) stated, "Starting from early 2026 with China leading the way, AI short-form dramas have surged rapidly, and currently they dominate even the U.S. market."

Nable Company Kang Da-hae (CEO) also reported increasing demand for AI content from overseas platforms. Kang (CEO) said, "When overseas platforms request around 50 to 100 short-form contents at once, about 20% to 30% of those requests inquire whether new AI content is available."

Rapid growth in AI short-forms has been influenced by production costs. According to industry sources, the production cost for a 50-episode short-form drama in China was previously around 100 million to 150 million won based on live-action standards, but can drop to 20 million to 30 million won when AI is utilized. This allows more works to be attempted with lower costs.

However, AI short-forms are not perfect. Characters' expressions or movements may not appear as natural as those of real actors, and similar faces sometimes repeat across different works. Kang Da-hae (CEO) noted, "AI is still not perfect; since it relies on data collections, results tend to center around standard attractive faces, making them feel somewhat uniform."

Nevertheless, there are reasons viewers continue watching these videos. The format creates conflict within short durations and teases the next story. When curiosity about 'what will happen' arises, viewers click to watch one more episode.

The Chuseok holiday period with long-distance travel offers ideal time for consuming such short content. Viewers chuckle at awkward scenes while unknowingly enjoying the next episode. It remains to be seen whether AI short-forms can establish themselves as a new 'one-minute boredom reliever' during holiday travel times.

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*This content was translated by AI.