MBC every1 ‘Hotel Dokkaebi’ poster
The stars who are crossing boundaries are pouring onto the small screen. Unexpected figures are knocking on the door of variety shows, bringing a different kind of delight.
First, actor Go Doo-shim has taken on her first reality variety show, 54 years after her debut. MBC every1 ‘Hotel Dokkaebi’, which premieres on the 10th, is a reality program set at a hanok-style hotel in Jeju that welcomes foreign guests. Having long been recognized as the ‘Nation's Mom’ for her earnest acting, she is set to reveal an unscripted, natural daily life. There is also anticipation for the chemistry she will show with fellow cast Kwon Yul, Son Na-eun, Kim Dong-jun, Lee Dae-hwi, and Jeon Seong-gon.
Previously, actor Youn Yuh-jung delivered both fun and healing through tvN ‘Youn's Kitchen’ and ‘Youn's Stay’. Attention is on whether a hotel-running story from Go Doo-shimconnecting with guests based on deep affection for her hometown Jejuwill likewise capture interest.
YouTube channel ‘Class of 26, It's Jiwon’ poster
Actor Ha Ji-won will launch her first solo YouTube channel since debut, ‘Class of 26, It's Jiwon’, on the 19th. It follows Ha, a graduate of the Department of Theater and Film at Dankook University, as she re-enrolls in college as a freshman of the Class of 26 and dives into campus life. She throws herself into university life just like real studentsfrom course registration to lectures, practicums, club activities, and group blind datescandidly capturing the quirky, sunny everyday life of ‘the person Ha Ji-won’.
With a return to dramas after four years ahead via the new ENA MondayTuesday series ‘Climax’, which premieres on the 16th, she is also venturing into web variety and is expected to draw closer to viewers with contrasting charms.
In addition, singer couple Lee Hyori and Lee Sang-soon transformed into counseling center directors, while actors Kim Tae-ri and Choi Hyun-wook became theater club teachers, drawing attention.
SBS ‘My Heart Is Mongle Mongle - Mongle Counseling Center’ broadcast still
The SBS program ‘My Heart Is Mongle Mongle - Mongle Counseling Center’, which premiered on the 8th, addresses the concerns and love of young adults with developmental disabilities, with Lee Hyori and Lee Sang-soon meeting clients as counseling center directors.
When a participant failed to recognize her in person, Lee Hyori laughed it off heartily, asking, “Do I look very different from on screen?”, while Lee Sang-soon sparked big laughs by tasting the humiliation of being flatly rejected during a mock blind-date rehearsal. Their unadorned reactions and heartfelt empathy drew praise for presenting a potentially heavy subject in a warm and cheerful way, signaling a smooth start.
tvN ‘After-school Teacher Taeri’ broadcast still
The tvN show ‘After-school Teacher Taeri’, featuring Kim Tae-ri and Choi Hyun-wook, is also captivating viewers with its distinctive appeal. The explosive energy Kim Tae-ri brings as an after-school theater teacher at a small elementary school on the brink of closure, paired with the laid-back youngest member Choi Hyun-wook and their comically ‘aggrieved’ chemistry, has spread through short-form content and is enjoying great popularity.
Unprocessed glimpses of their dynamicsuch as Choi Hyun-wook tearing up and saying he wants to go home in front of perfectionist teacher Kim Tae-riheighten immersion in the program. In addition, the way Kim treats the children with sincerity at every moment brings moving emotions and has elicited words of support, along with reactions like, “I cannot tell whether this is variety or a drama.”
In this way, unexpected ventures into variety by stars are gaining popularity by revealing the approachable sides that lay behind their rigorous filmographies. As many stars break down genre boundaries and expand their reach, anticipation grows over which other unlikely figures will surprise the small screen next.
