MBC to Produce First Short-form Drama... Adapting Popular Episode from 'Midnight Horror Stories' for Early Release in Japan

MBC is the first among domestic terrestrial broadcasters to enter the short-form drama market. This is a new attempt aimed at the younger generation familiar with short video services like TikTok, featuring short content of 1-2 minutes per episode.

On the 9th, MBC announced the production of the short-form drama 〈The Swamp that Eats People: The Grudge of the Soul-eating Ghost〉. This work is said to be an adaptation of the most popular episode 'Salmokji' from MBC's horror talk show 'Midnight Horror Stories'.

The production is co-directed by PD Park Jong-eun from 'Midnight Horror Stories' and director Kim Seung-tae, who directed the film 'The Ghost Door'. The collaboration of the two production teams has transformed the existing talk show format into a drama.

Interestingly, this work will be showcased overseas before being released domestically. It will first be unveiled to Japanese viewers through the Japanese short drama platform 'Kanta' on the 10th, and will later expand its service range to the rest of the world.

Short-form dramas are a new format gaining attention in the global content market. Especially due to the need to convey a complete story in a short amount of time, a different approach from traditional drama production is required.

An MBC official stated, "We plan to expand the scope of the short-form drama content market by planning various genres of short-form dramas."