{
  "id": 7996364,
  "title": "Why 'The King and the Clown' director took on short-form dramas, often dismissed as cheap entertainment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/why-the-king-and-the-clown-director-took-on-short-form-dramas-often-7996364",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-17T09:37:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/films/20260917/why-the-king-and-the-clown-director-took-on-short-form-dramas-often-dismissed-as-cheap-entertainment"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "When \"My Father's Table\" premiered at Lotte Cinema theaters across South Korea on September 9, it only filled about one-third of the screen space. Originally conceived as a short-form drama designed for smartphones, the series was shot vertically from the start and later compiled into a 146-minute theatrical feature. This marks the first-ever theatrical release of a short-form drama in Korea, with no known precedent elsewhere. What makes the story even more intriguing is the director behind it: Lee Joon-ik, the filmmaker whose 2005 hit \"The King and the Clown\" attracted more than 10 million viewers. His decision to direct a short-form drama, instead of the conventional feature-length film, is a tale in itself. At the film's opening day, Lee candidly admitted in an interview at Kidari Studio's offices in Seoul's Seongdong District that making a short-form drama made him uncomfortable and a little afraid. While short-form dramas have gained popularity in North America and China over the past two or three years, they are still widely dismissed in South Korea.",
  "summary": "When “My Father’s Table” opened at Lotte Cinema theaters nationwide Sept. 9, it filled only about a third of the screen, right down the middle. Originally intended as a short-form drama for smartphones, the production was shot vertically from the outset. Its 61 episodes, each roughly two minutes long, were then assembled into a 146-minute feature. It marks the first theatrical release of a…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Why 'The King and the Clown' director took on short-form dramas, often dismissed as cheap entertainment",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/why-the-king-and-the-clown-director-took-on-short-form-dramas-often",
        "published": "2026-09-17T09:02:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}