SEOUL, Apr. 2, 2021 — Kakao Entertainment today announced the six winners of its inaugural mid-form TV drama screenwriting competition. The company sees growing potential in mid-form dramas, which are composed of episodes that are about 25 minutes – much shorter than conventional Korean dramas. Having produced titles in this category since September 2020, Kakao Entertainment holds a vast library with shows popular among viewers across all age groups. 

The six winning writers from the competition will be given a chance to develop their scripts into original shows for KakaoTV, the company’s mobile platform specializing in mid-form video content. Kakao Entertainment will give the writers the opportunity to work with the company’s production subsidiaries, and it will support close collaboration with leading creators in its media division. Writers will also receive mentoring and support to plan, develop and create other scripts in addition to the winning entries they submitted. 

“We saw a lot of great potential not only for mid-form dramas themselves but also up-and-coming storytellers. The number of novel ideas and compelling narratives we saw was really impressive,” said Jang Sejeong, Kakao Entertainment’s director of media content. “This is just the beginning for us with this inaugural competition. We look forward to uncovering writers with great talent and building a creative ecosystem where they can thrive.”

The competition’s grand prize went to writer Lee Geun-suk’s “Murderer’s Paradise.” The mystery story centers around a protagonist who lost their family in an unresolved serial murder case. A brief synopsis and four scripts were enough to impress the judges, who praised the work for its distinctive characters and engaging plot. The award of excellence went to two romantic comedy stories: “Firework Touchdown” and “The Pink Lens Effect.” Three screenplays received honorable mentions: “Selling My Boyfriend,” “Detective Diary,” and “Tiger is a Flower.”

As seen in the award-winning stories, entries covered a broad spectrum of genres, with approximately 1,300 pieces being submitted. Participants included not only up-and-coming writers but established writers as well, who are active in the field of TV dramas, movies, games, and plays. The entries were reviewed by a panel of judges, which included heads of production companies, leading producers, and more. The judges went through three rounds of reviews to select stories that excelled in originality, degree of completion, and potential for commercialization.