K-Variety Shows Nonstop... Netflix Embraces Yoo Jaeseok and Na Youngseok Amid Baek Jongwon Controversy

Sequels and New Formats Lead the Lineup
"Physical: Asia," "Black & White Chef," and More
Netflix Focuses on Freshness and Local Identity
Producers Aim for Balance Between Familiarity and Novelty

Producers of variety shows attending the "Netflix Variety Festival 2025" held on the 2nd at JW Dongdaemun Marriott Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Netflix

Netflix is releasing one original variety show every month, continuously throughout the year without a break. On September 2, at the 'Netflix Variety Festival 2025' held at JW Dongdaemun Marriott Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, Kiwhan Yoo, Director of Nonfiction at Netflix, stated, "Korean variety shows have been on a stable trajectory for the past four years, and now it's time to move on to the next stage."

This lineup includes several sequels to popular variety shows. The mystery variety show "Crime Scene Zero," featuring Jang Jin, Park Ji-yoon, Jang Dong-min, Kim Ji-hoon, and Ahn Yu-jin, will be released on September 23. Producer Seulu Hwang explained, "We needed a cast that could showcase the identity of the show," adding, "The scale has expanded compared to previous series, and we have revived the format of introducing new guests in every episode."

The "Physical: 100" series, which features 100 contestants competing in physical challenges, will return next month as "Physical: Asia." Contestants from eight countries-Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, Mongolia, Japan, Indonesia, and T?rkiye-will compete against each other. Boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has confirmed his appearance as the representative for the Philippines, drawing significant attention. Producer Hogi Jang said, "The competition has become much fiercer with the national team format," and added, "It will feel like the Olympics."

The team led by producer Na Young-seok will present their first travel variety show in collaboration with Netflix. "Three Meals a Day in Kenya," featuring Lee Soo-geun, Eun Ji-won, and Kyuhyun, will be released in November, while "Lee Seojin's Dalla Dalla," which follows Lee Seojin and producer Na's journey through Dallas, United States, will be released next year.

The romance and guesthouse reality genres are also expanding. Producer Jaewon Kim, who directed "Single's Inferno 5," set for release in January next year, said, "With more participants, the love lines have become more diverse," and added, "The original goal was to continue until season 10, but during editing, I started to think we might even go up to season 20." For "Born Single But Want to Date 2," 12,000 people applied, three times more than in season 1. The production team said, "We have prepared a wider variety of characters and setups," adding, "We will also thoroughly verify the 'born single' status of the participants."

Former webtoon artist Gian84 will once again host "The Great Gianjang 2," welcoming guests at a new location. "Yoo Jaeseok Camp" received applications from over 55,000 teams. Producer Hyomin Jung commented, "Since this is Yoo Jaeseok's first time hosting a guesthouse variety show, he will be showing a new side of himself."

Director Kiwhan Yoo of Netflix is explaining this year's variety show achievements at the "Netflix Variety Festival 2025" held on the 2nd at JW Dongdaemun Marriott Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Netflix

Still cut from "Three Meals a Day in Kenya." Photo by Netflix

The hottest topic was season 2 of "Black & White Chef." While season 1 attracted significant attention, Baek Jong-won, CEO of The Born Korea and one of the judges, recently suspended his broadcasting activities due to controversies related to business operations and country-of-origin labeling. Director Yoo stated, "Because this program connects 100 chefs and over 300 staff members, we carefully considered whether to release it," and added, "We have decided to release it as planned and leave the judgment to the viewers." He further explained, "Given the efforts of so many people, releasing it as scheduled is the responsible choice."

Netflix also announced plans to respond to a similar format being produced in China. Director Yoo said, "We see this not just as a similarity in ideas but as intentional exploitation," adding, "We have officially protested to Tencent and requested that they stop. We will continue to actively respond to IP (intellectual property) infringement." The production team also commented, "The scenes we painstakingly created overnight were copied as they were," and added, "It's regrettable that our efforts were not respected."

Director Yoo said, "Our biggest concern this year was how many new shows we could introduce," and added, "Next year, we will present both sequels and new IP." He also emphasized, "The identity of Netflix original variety shows lies in their freshness, which cannot be found elsewhere," and continued, "We will strike a balance between familiarity and novelty by presenting not only large-scale competitions but also a diverse range of popular genres."

Over the past year, Netflix has analyzed responses from both Korean and global viewers. Director Yoo stated, "Although shows like 'Physical: 100' and 'Black & White Chef' have been loved overseas, I still consider all of our shows to be domestic-oriented," and added, "Fundamentally, Korean variety shows should compete by being even more uniquely Korean." He continued, "We measure success not by global chart rankings but by whether our target viewers are talking about the shows," and promised, "We will continue to create a variety of genres and formats in the future."