Comic Survival Story Produced at 140 Million KRW per Episode
Broadcaster Calls It a "Thank You" 'Cost-Effective Drama'
KBS N's drama 'One More Time, Ji Song,' which has introduced a new production method, has recently gained significant attention in the industry. This drama airs every Thursday at 9 PM on the KBS JOY channel and premiered on the 5th of this month.
'One More Time, Ji Song' is a comedic portrayal of the turbulent survival story of the protagonist 'Ji Song,' set in the new town 'Cheonpo.' It vividly captures the hardships of women in the new town, such as disguised married women and supermoms balancing work and family, earning praise mainly from viewers in their 30s and 40s. After its first release on Netflix, it entered the drama viewing TOP 10 rankings within two days, achieving notable success.
Above all, the greatest strength of 'One More Time, Ji Song' lies in its low production cost. KBS N maintains the production cost per episode in the mid-100 million KRW range. This is in stark contrast to other recent dramas that consume over 1 billion KRW per episode. This result comes from adopting web drama production methods and streamlining the production schedule, among various cost-saving efforts. For example, tvN's 'Queen of Tears' reportedly had a production cost of as much as 3.5 billion KRW per episode.
Lee Gang-deok, CEO of KBS N, stated, "The high production costs have caused a downturn in the drama market, which is a significant blow not only to broadcasters but also to industry workers," emphasizing that 'One More Time, Ji Song' is a work created through the united efforts of the cast and production team. He also mentioned the necessity that "good dramas and entertainment programs should be produced in large numbers at reasonable costs as before to continue the spread of Hallyu."
Currently, it is reported that the possibility of airing 'One More Time, Ji Song' on KBS 2TV is under review, beyond cable broadcasting and OTT platforms.
'One More Time, Ji Song,' which airs at 9 PM on Friday nights, can be watched on the KBS JOY channel.
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