Korea’s variety show giants return
2026.01.15 14:05
From multilingual rap battles to Netflix dating hits, legacy formats evolve for a wider audience
Successful variety franchises have become a prized commodity as drama production costs continue to skyrocket. By tapping into the loyalty of established fan bases to drive strong premieres and sustain long-term buzz, a slew of Korea's most recognizable entertainment shows are making a comeback, returning with larger-scale productions and fresh twists that aggressively push beyond their original, familiar formats.
| "Show Me The Money" Season 12 poster (Mnet) |
Mnet's flagship rap competition series "Show Me The Money" is set to return for its twelfth season, marking its first new installment in three years. The upcoming season will be the largest in the show's history, featuring both a record number of participants and episodes.
Most notably, the global scope of the competition has widened significantly.
"With international participants joining, viewers will hear rap performed in a wide range of languages," Chief producer Choi Hyo-jin, who has helmed the franchise since Season 4 in 2015, said during a press conference in Seoul on Thursday. Earlier seasons also featured overseas contestants, but Season 12 will mark the largest international presence in the show's history.
| "Show Me The Money" Season 12, starring Crush (left) and Zico (Mnet) |
According to Mnet, submissions to the program featured lyrics written in 24 languages, including Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese, as well as German, Russian and Hindi.
"Even when the language is different, an artist's attitude, energy and expressive power create a strong impact. Those global participants will play an important role in the season's narrative," said Choi.
| Jay Park speaks during a press conference held in Seoul, Thursday. (Yonhap) |
The judging lineup, long a major draw for the franchise, includes Zico and Crush, "kingmakers" Gray and Loco, veteran rappers Hukky Shibaseki and J-Tong, Lil Moshpit, and Jay Park.
The program, said Jay Park, will aim to reclaim a sense of authenticity in hip-hop -- a genre whose identity has grown increasingly diluted.
"As K-pop has become more polished, the boundary between pop and hip-hop has blurred," said Park. "And because rap has a relatively low barrier to entry, it's often dismissed as mere posturing or flexing -- even as amusement for kids. That misconception has ultimately undermined its wider appeal."
"Rather than chasing mass popularity, my goal is for people to feel that we're genuinely here to do 'Show Me The Money,'" he added.
The 12-part series premieres Thursday at 9:20 p.m. on Mnet, with exclusive streaming on Tving.
| "Single's Inferno" Season 5 poster (Netflix) |
"Single's Inferno," Netflix Korea's popular dating reality series, returns for its fifth season -- making it the first Korean variety show on the platform to reach that milestone.
Much like the latest season of "Show Me The Money," the show is slated to feature its largest cast ever.
"With more (cast members), the relationships and characters are much stronger," said Producer Park Su-ji, during a press conference held Wednesday. "We returned to the roots of the series to recapture the fluttering, fresh emotions viewers loved in Seasons 1 and 2."
| "Single's Inferno" Season 5 (Netflix) |
A key theme this season is "teto-nyeo," a newly coined term combining "testosterone" and "nyeo," a Korean word for woman. Producer Kim Jae-won described the female cast as "proactive and strong," while Park noted that the season includes moments intense enough to recall "Street Woman Fighter."
"With a more diverse cast, the focus shifts away from just one or two storylines," Park said. "Think of it more like 'Love Actually' -- every character is vivid, and every arc has weight."
"Single's Inferno" Season 5 premieres Tuesday on Netflix.
| "Crime Scene Zero" (Netflix) |
Meanwhile, Netflix has greenlit a new season of its mystery variety franchise "Crime Scene Zero." The award-winning role-playing deduction series has been repeatedly revived over its 11-year history, shifting casts and platforms while maintaining a devoted following.
The franchise originally aired for three seasons on JTBC from 2014 to 2017, before being revived as "Crime Scene Returns" on Tving in 2024. It was later reintroduced to global audiences on Netflix in 2025 under its current title, "Crime Scene Zero."
The series is now set to return once again with a new season, though details regarding the cast, format and release date remain tightly under wraps.
“Together with Netflix, which has been unwavering in its support, we plan to deliver a strong new season guided by the key themes of ‘returning to our roots’ and ‘evolution,’” said producer Yoon Hyun-joon in a press release issued Tuesday.
One of Korea’s most cult-favored entertainment franchises, "Crime Scene" has built a fiercely loyal fan base while earning both domestic popularity and international recognition, including top honors at the Asian Television Awards and a finalist certificate at the 2018 New York TV & Film Festival.
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