Korean survival shows, like 'SUPER STAR K' and 'Squid Game', are thriving globally, reflecting societal competition and viewer demand.
October/20/2024 16:21
The OTT (video distribution service) market is revitalizing, and following dramas, Korean variety shows are advancing into the world. Among various contents entertaining global viewers, 'survival' has recently gained particular attention. The 'K-Survival' variety gained significant interest from the first season of Mnet's 'SUPER STAR K', which aired in 2009. The show, which started with a viewership rating of 2.9%, produced the 'national star' Seo In-guk and achieved over 8% viewership, proving its popularity. This led to 'SUPER STAR K' airing until its eighth season, 'SUPER STAR K 2016', producing numerous star musicians, and shows like 'K-POP Star', 'The Voice of Korea', and 'I Am a Singer' also gained popularity. Furthermore, the 'SHOW ME THE MONEY' and 'UNPRETTY RAP STAR' series sparked a boom, leading the golden age of hip-hop music. Survival programs featuring idol trainees are also highly popular, with series like 'Produce 101' attracting attention and various idol audition programs being produced. This trend continues, giving rise to global idol groups like WINNER, TWICE, fromis_9, Kep1er, and ZEROBASEONE. In this context, survival programs have further activated the content market during the COVID-19 pandemic, naturally expanding their scale. Various survival programs targeting different fields, such as popular songs like 'Mistrot' and 'Mr. Trot', as well as 'Steel Troops' and 'Street Man Fighter', have gained popularity. Additionally, survival-themed Netflix shows like 'Squid Game' and 'Physical 100' have recorded global hits, spreading 'Korean-style survival' worldwide. In 2024, many survival programs are being produced, including 'White and Black Spoon - Cooking Class War', 'Road to Kingdom', 'Stage Fighter', 'Project 7', and 'Mr. Trot 3', showcasing a variety of genres and fields. Consequently, the target audience for each program varies. Attention is focused on whether variety shows that appeal to both Korean and global audiences will emerge. In this way, the phenomenon of survival programs showing momentum beyond a simple genre in the Korean variety market is explained by cultural critic Ha Jae-gun to My Daily, stating, 'Korea has a high intensity of social competition, and when individuals fall behind in competition, the sense of defeat is significant. This social phenomenon can be reflected in variety shows.' He added, 'As people seek more stimulating stories, survival programs are welcomed in this situation.'
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