Chinese-Made "Snack Culture" Takes Over South Korea, but Enforcement and Reviews Have Gaps

NetShort and other Chinese platforms rank among top apps for new installs
Outside regulatory reach, they spark unfair competition concerns... "Tighter oversight"

As Chinese short-form drama platforms take over South Korea's mobile entertainment market, teenagers are being exposed to provocative content with little protection because there is no unified regulatory framework to monitor and review these platforms.

According to Mobile Index, operated by IGAWorks, Chinese short-form drama platform NetShort ranked first in new app installations in South Korea's entertainment category last month, with 750,000 installations. Chinese platforms FreeReels and DramaBox followed in third place with 420,000 and fourth place with 390,000, respectively. The three platforms also ranked first through third in August. The domestic over-the-top (OTT) platform TVING placed second last month, with 470,000 installations.

NetShort and similar platforms offer vertical dramas, with each episode running one to two minutes and each series comprising 50 to 100 episodes. They let viewers watch the first five to 10 episodes for free, then encourage small payments at the moment when the conflict reaches its peak. Unlike subscription-based OTT services, they prompt viewers to make repeated payments for individual episodes.

The problem is that these platforms are not subject to regulatory provisions under South Korean law. Under the current Promotion of the Motion Pictures and Video Products Act, paid video products distributed in South Korea must undergo advance rating review by the Korea Media Rating Board (KMRB). However, content on foreign platforms headquartered overseas and distributed through app markets does not go through the KMRB review process. Review is not possible unless the companies apply voluntarily.

According to materials released last month for a National Assembly audit by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, the KMRB reviewed 4,572 short-form titles from April 2025 to August 2026, of which 3,244, or 70.9%, were Chinese productions. The proportion rated unsuitable for viewers under 19 rose from 2.0% in 2025 to 4.9% in 2026. These figures cover only titles submitted for review, leaving the regulatory blind spot unresolved.

Criticism has also been raised that responsibility among government agencies is unclear when it comes to reviewing social media (SNS) advertisements, which are a key route for attracting users. While the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the KMRB crack down on unlawful conduct by distribution platforms themselves, provocative trailer ads shown on Instagram and other platforms fall under the remit of the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Review Committee. With responsibilities divided this way, post-publication oversight appears to be delayed in the absence of clear guidelines.

South Korea's media industry has raised concerns about unfair treatment. Unlike domestic platforms, which undergo KMRB reviews or operate their own review teams in line with guidelines and meet their obligations to protect minors, foreign platforms are profiting in the market without bearing the same legal obligations. "Chinese short-form dramas are different from user-generated content (UGC). Smaller domestic content companies are being treated unfairly," an industry official said. "A coordinated response across government ministries is needed."

The government plans to strengthen reviews and weed out inappropriate content. The Broadcasting, Media and Communications Commission said it would step up inspections, including by changing its investigative methods to reduce regulatory blind spots. The Broadcasting, Media and Communications Review Committee has begun intensive monitoring of short-form videos and discriminatory content circulated in the form of so-called "memes." The committee said, "We will set periods for focused monitoring and conduct reviews, and apply a zero-tolerance policy to illegal and harmful content."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.