Korean variety shows are a form of television entertainment in South Korea. Variety shows were developed in 19th century Europe and the United States, and adapted from stage to television in the 20th century. In the late 20th and 21st centuries, variety shows decreased in popularity in Europe and the US. The variety show format was exported to Asia from Europe and the United States, and became popular in South Korea. Variety shows are currently a major part of television entertainment in South Korea. They are usually composed of various stunts, performances, skits, quizzes, comedy acts, etc. Popular celebrities and K-pop idols are also featured on Korean variety shows.
History of Korean variety shows
Background
Television was first introduced to South Korea in the late 1950s, and the first South Korean television broadcasting station was created in 1956. Television was used for entertainment, but also by the government to promote desired values, and the dissemination of other forms of propaganda.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the government increased their control over the media in South Korea, including television broadcasting. President Park Chung-hee's declaration of martial law after the South Korean election of 1971, and his subsequent revision of the Korean constitution into the Yushin Constitution, created a highly authoritarian government which centered power in the hands of the president. This required all television content creators to review their programs in accordance with governmental restrictions. After the breakdown of the Fourth Republic of Korea and the Fifth Republic of Korea, reforms were made, although relative freedom of the press and media was not established until the 1989 Act on Registration of Periodicals and the Broadcast Act.
In 1998, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) crisis in South Korea prompted fears around the collapse of the traditional family and social systems, and media shifted to reflect those desired values and to raise public awareness of everyday life. While television during the Park Chung-hee military regime focused on enlightenment, television began to shift towards focusing on personal and emotional subjects around 1998, as well as entertainment that promoted comfort and fun. It was said that "the television program crews who accurately grasp the demand of the public will concentrate their efforts on the television show program, which includes a 'fantastic element' that will tackle personal everyday life and break down the boundaries between inside and outside the broadcast". Cable channels and satellite broadcasting were also introduced in the 1990s, with cable channels reaching over 15 million viewers by 2010.
History of variety shows
Korean television has broadcast music-oriented programs and performances since the creation of broadcast stations in the early 1960s. These music programs involve singing, dancing, playing instruments, and other forms of artistry, usually as part of a competition or talent show. One such program is KBS1's National Singing Contest, which has aired since 1980, making it Korea's longest-running television program.
In the 1990s and 2000s, entertainment centered around talk shows and confrontation. Examples of similar Korean reality-variety shows include g.o.d's Baby Diaries and Happy Sunday. However, because of the limitations in material and format, this type of show has generally not continued into the modern day, except for some representative programs.
The combination of talk show and confrontation entertainment became a signatory program of each broadcasting company such as Happy Together Season 3, Running Man, Radio Star, and Infinite Challenge which ended in summer 2018.
In the early and mid-2010s, styles of variety shows favored "love variety" and "audition" formats. Unlike the confrontational and scripted style of previous shows, many programs invoked human elements and emotions, although there were controversies over the legitimacy of the supposedly unscripted events. This type of Korean variety show gained popularity because "it strikes chords in both human instinct and happiness and is not just a simple 'entertainer personal show', which is considered to be the limit of existing confrontation entertainment, by adding various fun factors centering on the psychological changes of entertainers and ordinary people".
Characteristics
Korean variety shows form a large part of modern television entertainment in South Korea.