Four Korean Formats from 2023 to See
By Chris Weatherspoon
In the ever-evolving landscape of entertainment, Korean variety shows stand as a testament to the idea that good tv can be good, clean fun. While many formats rely on scandal and conflict to attract viewers, Korean reality tv bridges gaps by bringing people together through the universal languages of laughter, music, dance, and the unexpected twists of everyday life. Whether you're a fan of comedy, music, dance, or business adventures, Korean variety shows have something creative and compelling for you to watch.
Here is a look at four variety shows, two which have completed their run, that Koreans enjoyed in 2023.
Green Bean Red Bean: Reap What You Sow (GBRB)
Green Bean Red Bean/ GBRB: Reap What You Sow
Korean variety shows have carved a niche for themselves, blending entertainment with real-life experiences. One such gem is Green Bean Red Bean, also known as GBRB: Reap What You Sow. The show, which premiered in October on tvN, follows the adventures of four close friends who are navigating the challenge of cultivating a small field together.
These four friends are all very well-known personalities in the Korean entertainment industry: actors LEE Kwang Soo [Running Man, Live] and KIM Woo Bin [Black Knight, We Are Young], EXO member DOH Kyung Soo, and actor KIM Gi Bang [Boys Over Flowers]. As inexperienced farmers, the group embarks on a journey, facing the trials and tribulations that come with nurturing a plot of land that has unexpectedly come into their possession. Additionally, the show includes a fifth character, the sleepy town of Girin in Gangwon Province in which the farm is located.
GBRB is a reality show that doesn’t hide the arguments and disagreements that frequently pop up between the city-dwelling celebrities that have made their way to the country to try their hand at farming. However, the charm of the show is the growth of these four as they work together to overcome their challenges, often with great humor.
Unexpected Business 3: Unexpected Business in California
Unexpected Business 3: Unexpected Business in California
Disney+ Korea’s biggest hit of 2023 was Moving, so it makes perfect sense to have the show’s two stars, CHA Tae-hyun and JO In-sung, reunite for another season of their hit supermarket series Unexpected Business. This Korean reality show, now in its third season, revolves around the unexpected challenge of running a store and covers everything from supermarket operations to cooking.
The program has been praised for its heartwarming humor, which comes from the amazing chemistry between CHA Tae-hyun and JO In-sung as well as the small yet special stories that unfold in the daily lives of the customers they interact with. In the past the show took place in Korea, but this year the two operate a store in Monterey, a port city located in the central part of California, USA.
Unexpected Business 3 began airing in late October on tvN and has maintained strong ratings throughout its run.
Queen of Active Trot Singers
Trot shows are hot in Korea! For those who don’t know, Trot is a genre of Korean popular music that originated in the first half of the 20th century. For Westerners, “Oldies” would probably be the sound of music that sounds the most similar, however Trot has continued to evolve and change over the past few decades and is popular with young and old audiences alike.
Queen of Active Trot Singers [a translation of the show’s original Korean title 현역가왕] is a Trot “survival” music variety program that aims to select the top 7 ‘top-tier female active trot singers’. A unique twist for this singing competition is that winners will participate in a ‘Korea-Japan Trot King Contest’ to be held in 2024.
Hosted by Korean variety show mainstay SHIN Dong-yeob [My Ugly Duckling], Queen of Active Trot Singers premiered in late November and is broadcast every Tuesday night at 9:10 PM on cable channel MBN.
STREET WOMAN FIGHTER 2 (SWF2)
Did you know that Korea has, arguably, the world’s best B-boy crews and that there is actually a national team? So of course, a show featuring street dancers would be a hit, right?
Street Woman Fighter 2, often abbreviated as SWF2, is a South Korean dance competition franchise. Now in its third season (the second season was Street Man Fighter), the show revolves around eight female dance crews fighting to claim the title of Korea’s best female street dance crew. Unlike its first season, which only featured Korean dance crews, Street Woman Fighter 2 expanded to include dancers from around the world which proved to be a hit and expanded the show’s audience. Dance competition and dance crew battle shows are nothing new, but SWF2’s format and system of missions constantly pushed the dancers to their creative limits and made for exciting television. SWF2 was also very popular with younger viewers who frequently rewatched dance highlight clips online.
The winning crew received ₩50 million, diamond rings from Amondz, and the Street Woman Fighter 2 trophy.
Hosted by KANG Daniel, SWF2 aired on Mnet from August to October 31 for 10 episodes.