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Some Iconic K-pop Idol Moments on TV to Remember

You have to remember that our beloved K-pop idols train for years, not just to be the amazing performers that we watch on stage. Yes, they spend countless days undergoing voice training, rap training (for the rappers), dance training, and composition and music production for some. All of them go through personality development and “variety” training. Variety training, you may wonder. As we have seen through the years, K-pop idols, especially groups, have appearances in just about any kind of TV program to promote their new releases and keep their group visible to the public, strengthening their “brand reputation”. It’s also a way of introducing each member to the viewers. A lot of idols have their own variety shows, but most of those are only available online, so they still somehow prefer to make televised appearances to reach a wider audience.

And not just anyone can hack a TV show guest appearance. You need to develop skills like spontaneity, dealing with sometimes difficult hosts, winging through awkward interactions, and having to do tasks and “challenges” that you may not be in the mood to be doing and be seen on national TV. But in the spirit of fun and “fan service”, even idols who may not initially have the personality for these public appearances develop this “sense” and, surprisingly, become good in them.

Here are a number of legendary appearances on TV shows and specials that have stood the test of time, showing that some of these idols have really excelled in “variety training,” and endearing them more to us. As if we need more reasons to love them!

Endless laughs from whispers?

The whisper challenge is one of those portions in the variety show Knowing Bros that have produced iconic moments for idols. The game pairs two idols, where they sit facing each other with one saying a word or phrase and the other trying to guess what that word or phrase is, while wearing a headset with loud music so the guesser can’t hear what his/her partner is saying. This game has also been played on other variety programs, but the two most memorable are those played in JTBC’s reality-variety show classroom.

The Epic Dahyun vs. JYP Whisper-Turned-Shouting Match

Among today’s crop of JYP idols, TWICEs Dahyun is one of those armed with natural “variety sense.” She is also known to be quite close with her entertainment label’s founder—who also happens to have quite a music career himself—the JYP, also known as:

  • Park Jin Young
  • J.Y. Park
  • The Asiansoul

And aka the guy whose trademark is whispering “JYP” at the start of every song he produces. As the owner of that iconic whisper, one would expect JYP to be good in a whisper challenge, but alas, he only frustrated his partner Dahyun. And the depth of Dahyun’s disappointment knew no bounds as her face turned red only 20 seconds into the first round (the mystery word was “plastic pants”, a JYP iconic fashion statement), kept yelling at her boss, called him by his first name, and asked him why he was so bad in this game. The situation was so funny yet anxiety-inducingly bad that host Heechul had to restrain Dahyun a bit, because even for a casual viewer, it looked like Dahyun was going to blow her fuse. In the end, JYP guessed 2 out of 7 words correctly.

 

EXO, Especially Kai

When six EXO members visited the Knowing Bros classroom, they were the first to admit that they were really bad at playing the whisper challenge. To encourage them to improve their game, they were challenged by Kang Hodong and the group that if they did well in the whisper challenge, they would be able to perform their latest release that time, Obsession. The first pair of Chen and Chanyeol did okay, but when it came to Baekhyun and Kaiand Suho and Sehun, hell broke loose as EXO’s main dancer kept on interpreting Baekhyun’s clue of “when you’re cold” (the mystery word was “warming pads”) to “dead people” while the maknae kept on complaining that he can’t hear his leader-partner when it was exactly the point of the game. Things went a bit naughty when Baekhyun’s clues of “in your underpants” and “two words” were misinterpreted by Kai, making him wonder if his answer can be said on air without the strict Korean censors bleeping him, consequently sending the members rolling in laughter on the floor. 

Award Shows

And I’m not talking about MAMAs, MMAs, and end of the year concerts from TV stations. I’m talking about TV and movie awards where actors and actresses attend. These events are super awkward for idols to perform in because usually, the actors, actresses, and other attendees of these ceremonies are, to put it kindly, stoic when reacting to musical performances. But a couple of idols brought their A game and at the very least, sent tongues wagging and K-netz on a search frenzy as soon as they were done. 

Mamamoo Kills Awards Nights

If there’s a group that can leave people open-mouthed and breathless in their performances, that has to be vocal powerhouse Mamamoo. That they can make even the most stern-faced actors dance with them (Cho Jinwoong in 2016’s AAA) and have them react to their witty adlibs. For the 2017 and 2018 Blue Dragon Film Awards, Moonbyul, Solar, Wheein, and Hwasa changed some of the lyrics to Decalcomanie and Yes I Am to pay tribute to the nominees and their memorable dialogues. From Sol Kyunggu in The Merciless, Song Kangho in Taxi Driver, Na Moon Hee in I Can Speak, Lee Byunghun in Inside Men, and yearly subject Jo Insung, the girls didn’t leave any stone unturned, making these awards show less stiff than they usually are. 

Hyolyn Doesn’t Dilly Dally

Hyolyn is no stranger to television, having starred in KBS2’s Dream High Season 2 and contributing to several drama OSTs. So, it may not have been a total shock that she was invited to perform in the 2018 edition of the KBS Drama Awards. The performance started off beautifully, with the SISTAR main vocal singing Spring Watch from the soundtrack of 2017 TV drama Black Knight: The Man Who Guards Me. Then, out of the blue, Hyolyn asks Cha Taehyun who was in the audience if he wanted to go to the sea with her. Trench coat off, Hyolyn segued to See Sea wearing a sparkling silver one piece costume. Then came her performance of Dally, her single known for very… physical choreography. Actors and actresses in the audience froze as body rolls, hip thrusts, and twerks came in rapid succession. Suffice to say every single jaw dropped as Hyolyn’s performance ended. Criticism of the performance, particularly the outfit, ensued the next day, but for KBS, a TV station usually known to be conservative, their event was the talk of the town, so it was a win-win situation. 

Weekly Idol

From 2011, one of the first things that any K-pop fan would think of when “variety show” was mentioned is Weekly Idol, initially hosted by Jang Hyungdon and Deffconn. Every week, idol groups would join in the fun as they, with the two hosts, would engage in a variety of games and activities that somehow gave the fans a glimpse of their personalities outside the stage. Some appearances were a bit controversial, with the hosts sometimes getting called out for asking questions that sound a tad out of line and awkward, which may have led the two to step down as hosts in 2018. Donni and Conni eventually hosted a similarly-themed show on JTBC, Idol Room, while Weekly Idol had a number of host changes before finally settling with ZE:A’s Kwanghee and SuJu’s Eunhyuk

The B2ST Credit Card Game

The 2nd generation group B2ST, now known as Highlight, is not popularly known as the “variety kings” for nothing, Their perfect comedic timing, the balance or energies among the members, easy rapport with the hosts of any show they visit, and their lack of reluctance to do anything for a laugh is a testament to how great they are in the variety department. In their first Weekly Idol appearance since the departure of member Hyunseung, they did not disappoint even if they had to establish instant rapport with co-hosts EXID’s Hani and SuJu’s Heechul who filled in for Conni who was on extended medical leave. In the segment where they are supposed to perfect challenges to receive gifts to be bought by the credit card of their agency’s CEO, the program introduced a new twist: The show was apparently going to use THEIR credit cards instead of the CEO’s. It was a riot to see the usually cool and brooding Junhyung egged on by his friend Heechul to do aegyo and for the group’s leader Doojoon to fake cry in embarrassment as the members went all-out to win items on their wishlist. Gikwang won a new gaming PC, Dongwoon won a Hulk action figure, Junghyun won two vacuum cleaners, Doojoon won a tablet, and main vocal Yeoseob, who wished for a gold bar, wasn’t chosen by his members to win. 

Fortunately, it was later revealed that they were going to use the CUBE Entertainment CEO’s card, provided they win a whisper relay (a variation of the whisper challenge where members relay the mystery word to the next person wearing a headset until the last person guesses the word correctly. They did win the relay and Junhyung gave his extra vacuum cleaner to poor Yoseobie. 

GFriend, Double Speed Dance: Legends

Weekly Idol was the show that introduced the Random Play dance to the public, where group guests had 3 seconds to remember the choreography and formation to a random song in their discography and actually dance it. Very few groups succeed in this mission, with one of them being the legendary GFriend, known then for their sharp synchronized choreography to even their sweet teenybopper songs. Thus, Weekly Idol took the challenge a step further the next time the Navillera group guested on the show by playing their iconic songs at twice the speed. The girls took the challenge in stride, perfecting the choreography to their songs at double the cadence. They passed the challenge with flying colors on all three occasions: they did Rough one time, Fingertip another time, and finally, Glass Bead, Me Gustas Tu, and Navillera one after another. 

I’m sure you have other iconic moments with your favorite idol groups on other TV shows and webcasts. Here’s hoping we continue to get more memorable episodes from them in the future, especially these days when a lot of idol activity happens online!

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10 Must-Watch K-pop Idol Variety Shows Online

Content is king, and idols know it! 

Nowadays, K-pop idols don’t just guest at variety shows, they also star on their own! Having their own programs lets idols share more about themselves to fans, as well as give the fans an inside look at their daily lives. 

Here are some of your favorite idols’ online variety shows you can binge on: 

Run BTS (2015 – present) 
Starring: All BTS members 

What it’s about: The world’s biggest K-pop boy group has their own weekly variety show where they take on missions and play games to win prizes or avoid punishments. In the program, the boys unleash their fun, goofy, and cheeky selves on camera, much to the delight of all ARMYs around the world. With almost 150 episodes as of August 2021, there is more than enough BTS content for fans to watch! 

Where to watch: VLive, Weverse 

24/365 with Blackpink (2020 – present) 
Starring: All Blackpink members 

What it’s about: 24/365 lets Blinks into the lives of Blackpink. The show features the members as they chill in their dorm, shoot their music videos, play games, attend group and individual schedules, learn new skills, and more. The program is currently in its first season and has 16 uploaded episodes. 

Where to watch: Blackpink’s YouTube channel  

NCT Life (2016 – present) 
Starring: All NCT members 

What it’s about: It’s hard to keep up with a massive 23-member group, but NCT Life will help you get to know all the members better! Throughout its 10-season run, the show follows the lives of all members as they travel to different cities and countries. Several seasons also featured the NCT members acting as tour guides for their fellow members.  

Where to watch: NCT’s VLive channel 

Red Velvet Level Up! Project (2017 – 2020) 
Starring: All Red Velvet members (seasons 1 – 3), Irene and Seulgi (season 4)

What it’s about: The girls of Red Velvet take Reveluvs on a trip around the world with them in Level Up! Project. The show currently has four seasons; however, only the most recent one featuring Irene and Seulgi can be viewed outside of South Korea. 

Where to watch: SM C&C YouTube channel

SuperM M-Topia (2021)
Starring: All SuperM members 

What it’s about: SM Entertainment’s supergroup, SuperM, is made up of EXO’s Baekhyun and Kai, Shinee’s Taemin, and NCT’s Taeyong, Ten, Lucas, and Mark. In 2020, they starred in their own variety show, M-Topia, where they go on a special vacation to relax and bond. During the trip, they also try different missions and avoid booby traps in the games to build their teamwork.

Where to watch: SM C&C YouTube channel

EXO Ladder (2018 – 2019)
Starring: EXO-CBX (Season 1), All EXO members except Lay (Season 2)

What it’s about: Officially titled “Travel the world on EXO’s ladder,” the show features the members as they go on a trip, and what they will do on their journey is determined by the ladder game (used to help choose something at random). In the first season, the EXO-CBX sub-unit (Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin) went to Japan; in the second season, all members (except Lay) took a trip to Taiwan. 

Where to watch: SM C&C YouTube channel

EXO Arcade (Season 1 2018 – 2019; Season 2 2021) 
Starring: All EXO members except Lay (Season 1); Xiumin, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, Sehun (Season 2) 

What it’s about: On this show, EXO-Ls get to watch their favorite boys compete against one another in various games—from shouting in silence to the Mafia game. Winners get prizes such as snack foods, while losers receive a penalty from the winners. 

Where to watch: VLive, SM C&C YouTube channel

Time to Twice (2020 – present) 
Starring: All Twice members

What it’s about: Twice members bring on the laughs and their competitive streaks with Time to Twice! Each short season (around 5-6 episodes long) takes on a different concept, such as a noraebang (karaoke) battle, healing camping trip, high school, crime scene—and even chocolate factory! 

Where to watch: Twice’s YouTube channel

Twice TV (2015 – present)
Starring: All Twice members 

What it’s about: Twice TV follows the Twice members as they go about their daily lives—album recording, music video shooting, and more. There’s more than 200 episodes to watch, so you won’t run out of vids to binge! 

Where to watch: Twice’s YouTube channel

Going Seventeen (2017 – present) 
Starring: All Seventeen members 

What it’s about: Going Seventeen is an ongoing web series featuring the 13-member boy group Seventeen. The show began in 2017 as a vlog-style program featuring behind-the-scenes footage of the group’s activities. In 2019, it transitioned into a variety/game show series, which saw the boys take on different challenges such as bungee jumping, going to escape rooms, completing an inflatable obstacle course race, and more. 

Where to watch: Seventeen’s YouTube channel, VLive

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Smashing stereotypes: Female idols in Korean variety shows  

Male idols do not have a monopoly on variety shows. Female idols are just as goofy and witty on many K-entertainment programs too! 

Ready to see a different side to your favorite female idols? Watch these four variety shows that feature female idols (fixed cast):

1. Amazing Saturday (Do Re Mi Market): Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon 

Each episode features three representative foods from a market in South Korea. The fixed cast and the guests need to play games such as writing down the correct lyrics to various songs to win and be able to enjoy the food. Second generation K-pop group Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon joined the program as a permanent cast member in 2020. 

Amazing Saturday also has a spin-off show titled Idol Dictation Contest. The show includes the following female idols in the cast: Lovelyz’s Mijoo and former IZ*ONE’s Yena.  

Where to watch: Amazing Saturday channel on YouTube 

2. I Live Alone: Mamamoo’s Hwasa 

I Live Alone features Korean celebrities who live on their own. The program gives audiences a peek into the daily lives of actors, idols, models, and more. The hosts watch footage of themselves, as well as of invited guests. Third gen K-pop group Mamamoo’s Hwasa joined as a fixed host after previously guesting in the show.  

Where to watch: Viu

3. Sixth Sense: Jessi and Lovelyz’s Mijoo

In Sixth Sense, celebrities visit various places or people considered as “hot topics” in South Korea. However, one of these places or people are completely made up by the production staff. The celebrities must then use their wits and deduction skills to figure out which of the choices is fake. 

The show stars veteran comedian and television personality Yoo Jae-suk, actress Oh Nara, actress Jeon Somin, rapper Jessi, also third gen K-pop group Lovelyz’s Mijoo, and actor Lee Sangyeob. 

Where to watch: Viu

4. Busted: Kim Sejeong

Busted was a whodunit variety show where the cast members were brought together to form a detective team. In every episode, the team got involved in a murder mystery that they needed to solve.

The show starred Yoo Jaesuk, actor Ahn Jaewook, singer-comedian Kim Jongmin, actor Lee Kwangsoo, actress Park Minyoung, EXO’s Sehun, former I.O.I and Gugudan’s (both third generation K-pop groups) Kim Sejeong, and actor-singer Lee Seunggi. Busted also featured idols and other celebrities as guests. The program ran for three seasons. 

Where to watch: Netflix

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Beyond the Stage: Male K-pop Idols in Korean Variety Shows  

K-Pop idols are not just insanely talented in singing and dancing; they also have sharp wits and perfect comedic timing, which make them perfect for variety shows! 

In need of a good laugh? Here are five Korean variety shows you can watch that feature male idols as fixed cast members: 

1. Knowing Brothers (Ask Us Anything): Super Junior’s Heechul 

Knowing Brothers is one of the most popular variety shows in South Korea today. This hilarious show is set in a classroom, and the fixed cast—TV show host and former ssireum (Korean wrestling) athlete Kang Hodong, comedians Lee Sugeun and Kim Youngchul, former basketball player Seo Janghoon, and singers Lee Sangmin, Kim Heechul, and Min Kyunghoon—are the students. Every week, “transfer students” guest on the show and are interviewed by the cast. The guests also participate in activities such as games and skits. 

Where to watch: Netflix 

2. New Journey to the West: Super Junior’s Kyuhyun, Block B’s P.O., and Winner’s Mino 

Travel-reality show New Journey to the West is inspired by the Chinese novel Journey to the West, and stars Kang Hodong, Lee Sugeun, singer Eun Jiwon, actor Ahn Jaehyun, and Kyuhyun, Mino, and P.O. For each season, the cast members dress up as different characters, go on a trip, and complete various missions to receive dragon balls that will grant their wishes.

Where to watch: Viu, TvN D ENT channel on YouTube

3. 2 Days and 1 Night: VIXX’s Ravi 

2 Days and 1 Night is one of South Korea’s longest-running travel reality-variety shows. In the program, the cast members go on an overnight trip around the country and play creative games to earn rewards (ex. food and indoor sleeping accommodation) and avoid punishment (ex. going into the water in winter). The show is currently on its fourth season, and stars singer-comedian Kim Jongmin, actor Yoon Junghoon, comedian Moon Seyoon, actor Kim Seonho, rapper Dindin, and VIXX’s Ravi. 

Where to watch: KBS World channel on YouTube 

4. Weekly Idol: Super Junior’s Eunhyuk and Hwang Kwanghee 

K-pop idols get to showcase their unique talents, play games, and share interesting facts about themselves in Weekly Idol. The show is popular for its classic “Random Play Dance” and “2x Speed Dance” segments. The current season is hosted by Super Junior’s Eunhyuk and ZE:A’s Kwanghee—two idols who have also made a name for themselves as excellent TV show MCs. 

Where to watch: Viki, All the K-Pop channel on YouTube

5. Amazing Saturday (Do Re Mi Market): SHINee’s Key and Block B’s P.O. 

Each episode features a market from South Korea and its representative food. In the show, the fixed cast and the guests need to write down the correct lyrics to various songs to win and be able to enjoy the food. 

Amazing Saturday also has a spin-off show titled Idol Dictation Contest. The show includes the following male idols in the cast: Eunhyuk, Ravi, EXO’s Kai, Golden Child’s Lee Jangjun, and Seventeen’s Seungkwan. 

Where to watch: Amazing Saturday channel on YouTube 

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