FAMOUS KOREAN TV SHOWS
If you are searching a way to run from work related stress or you just want a good laugh or relaxing day, you have come to the right place, we have gathered a list of famous Korean TV shows you can binge watch by yourself or enjoy it in company.
Korean entertainment (K-pop, K-dramas, K-movies, and TV shows) have taken the world in the last few years, and if you are into Korean culture, you can understand why, so, without further ado, lets check out some of these TV shows.
Running Man - 런닝맨
You shouldn't miss "Running Man," a Korean variety program that is currently one of the most well-known and long-running in Korean TV history, first aired on July 11, 2010. In order to win a race, "Running Man" competitors had to complete several challenges at well-known Korean locations. Regular participants and guests, many of whom take part frequently, make up the cast.
The format of the program has evolved over time to become a more traditional reality-variety show, where players compete in a single long race while playing ongoing games. Today, certain episodes are broadcast globally and has been fansubbed into various languages such as English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French and many others, thanks to Hallyu enthusiasts.
King of Mask Singer - 미스터리 음악쇼 복면가왕
A South Korean singing competition program which premieres on MBC every Sunday beginning on April 5, 2015, as part of Sunday Night on MBC. The singers compete against one another in three rounds of elimination over the course of each competition's two episodes. They are provided with intricate masks created by designer Hwang Jae-geun and gloves to wear in order to conceal their identities, eliminating variables like popularity, career, and age that may result in biased voting.
Both participants sing the same song in the first round, and in the second and third rounds, each performs a solo song. Through immediate live voting, the public and celebrity panel choose the victors of each combination. The singers' identities aren't made public until after they've been eliminated. The third-round victor challenges the Mask King from the previous competition, who is then either eliminated or chosen as the new Mask King.
2 Days and 1 Night - 1박 2일
This TV Show is one of the most well-known comedic variety shows in Korea and has been running since August 5, 2007, and it was one of the two segments of Happy Sunday (the other segment is The Return of Superman). Weekly episodes with English subtitles are also posted on YouTube through KBS World's official channel.
Every season, it assembles the cast members who travel throughout Korea, typically to more remote locations like islands and mountains in which they are required to complete tasks and difficulties in various locations, such as passing a piece of paper with their mouth or removing a face mask without using their hands, all this to earn a reward or to avoid a punishment.
The Return of Superman - 슈퍼맨이 돌아왔다
One of the two segments on Happy Sunday used to be The Return of Superman; the other segment is 1 Night 2 Days. As a Chuseok holiday special, the first three episodes of the pilot were broadcast from September 19 to September 21 of 2013 and officially become part of the Happy Sunday lineup starting on November 3, 2013.
Celebrity fathers who must care for their children alone for 48 hours have to complete tasks assigned to them by their wives or engage in specific activities with their children which creates many amusing and heartwarming moments. Thanks to the show it has helped make several renowned children in Korea famous.
Unpretty Rapstar - 언프리티 랩스타
A rap competition reality TV show, airs on Mnet, with a concentration on female rappers, was released on January 29, 2015. At initially, competitors must improvise a self-introduction over the same beat. Then, each competitor is required to compose and arrange an original rap song, as well as to direct a music video or live stage performance of the song. Additionally, there is a "diss battle," in which competitors engage in one-on-one combat in a restricted setting without a master of ceremonies or microphone controller.
Knowing Bros - 아는 형님
Produced by SM C&C and premiered on December 5, 2015, currently airs on Saturdays at JTBC. The ensemble of the popular variety program "Knowing Bros" also known as "Men on a Mission", portrays high school students in a classroom with famous guest introduced as a transfer student in each episode.
The show has absurd tasks, a lot of conversation, spontaneous skits, humor, and the second half of the performance typically includes a variety portion, where the actors and visitors participate in events like games, talent shows, or improvised acting. The cast will also be required to respond to quizzes concerning the celebrity guest as well, and as you can guess, these lead to funny reactions.
Now on My Way to Meet You - 이제 만나러 갑니다
South Korean variety program, part talk show, part talent show, and part beauty pageant has been airing since December 4, 2011, on Channel A. This performance is incredibly unusual: female North Korean defectors, referred to as "defector beauties," display their talents, cry, and share their escape stories. Stories of adversity that are heartbreaking contrast with comedic routines and flings with a group of male South Korean comedians.
The program was incredibly well-liked and unique in its endeavor to change South Korean perceptions on North Korean defectors, but also blamed by defectors for fabricating or exaggerating bad aspects of northern living to attract viewers.
Roommate - 룸메이트
Formerly a part of the Good Sunday schedule on SBS, the Sewol ferry tragedy and the brief transmission halt caused the original air date of April 20, 2014, to be pushed back to May 4, 2014. The plot of "Roommate" was straightforward: a stunning house located in the Seongbuk-dong area of Seoul where a group of eleven Korean celebrities reside.
They prepare late-night dinners for one another while waiting up for each other to return from their insane work schedules. Everyone seems to really enjoy each other's company, and since there aren't any talks or conflicts that are blatantly planned, everything seems to be happening naturally. At the end of season one, six of the eleven original roommates left the show, having to introduce seven new for the season. Due to poor viewership, the second season was canceled, with the final episode airing on April 14, 2015.
Author: SUJI SOHN
About the author: Suji was studying in London in the year 2019 and, although being separated from her family, her passion for Korea was growing. She noticed that a lot of her close friends loved Korean culture, food, music, and dramas and gradually started to fall in love with Korea, but there weren't many opportunities to actually "experience" this wonderful nation!
Suji was aware of what she needed to do to introduce Korea to her friends' lives and, conceivably, to those of everyone else who was curious about a piece of Daehan Min-guk.
