Korean comedy is the art of comedy, either enacted on stage, or within other media forms in the Korean language. It is not limited by country, so long as the actor has Korean roots.
Korean comedy is the art of comedy, either enacted on stage, or within other media forms in the Korean language. It is not limited by country, so long as the actor has Korean roots.
The first modern form of comedy plays in Korea started in 1913 by the Hyoksin troupe, which gave performances along with shinpa dramas. [1]
TV comedy in South Korea can traced back to 1969 with the comedy show Blessings Come Your Way When You Smile , which aired on MBC. [2] [3] The show was based on the performances of musical play troupes known as akgeukdan (악극단). [4] Blessings... grew popular as TVs became easier to purchase in the 1970s, and it was estimated to have recorded viewer ratings around 70% in its heyday. [3] At the time, comedians were regarded lowly within Korean society; [5] comedian Gu Bong-seo recalled in 1999 how "if a doctor appeared in a comedy, the medical association would protest, and if a pottery piece was broken, antique dealers would object." [6] In 1977, it was decided that all comedy shows would be canceled, as they were deemed low quality; [7] within a day of the announcement, however, it was decided that weekly shows would remain on the air. [8]
The first "gag" (개그, equivalent to slapstick comedies) comedy was the show Smile a Little (살짜기 웃어예) aired on TBC in 1974. The show reflected the comedy trends that were popular in South Korean universities. In the 1980s, there were debates among comedians who base their comedy in comedy plays and the aforementioned "gag" comedians, with gag comedians often being derided as lacking creativity and "stuff that would be more fitting for a school talent show". However, after the 1980s, comedy styles birthed by the gag comedians became the mainstream style of comedy, in the form of comedy skits in shows such as Gag Concert and Comedy Big League . [4] Political cartoons depicting satirical depictions of current events are also common in newspapers, though due to economic issues and the rise of webtoons, political cartoons have seen a decline. [9] [10]
Jaedam (similar to traditional Korean comedy Mandam) is a comedy genre that is similar to standup comedy, wordplay or puns. [11]
Chongeuk is North Korean sketch comedy.
North Korean circuses similar to slapstick comedies.
Man p'il is a satirical essay that was improved in North Korea in 1961 by O Hong-taek. In 1978, after the publishing of the manp'il "What has been really grown so highly? (무엇이고도성장되였는가?)" by O Hong-taek, Kim Jong Il instructed the creative directions of the essay, airtimes, types and content. [12] In late May 2005, the Pyongyang Broadcasting Corporation revived comic folk tales for political commentary, in an attempt to satirize American society, and political jockeying for power by using the form known as manp'il, or "comic notes" in a short acted dialogue using folkish humour and animal metaphors. [13]
Satirizing North Korean leaders is banned. [11] Dr. Dima Mironenko studied how the first romantic comedy film in North Korea has no records remaining due to people being involved in the production being purged. [14]
In 2013, North Korea aired a comedy show that imitated Barack Obama and South Korean figures. [15]
Behind the White Tower is a 2007 South Korean television series that aired on MBC from January 6 to March 11, 2007 on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:40 for 20 episodes.
Kang Ho-dong is a South Korean television host and comedian, who first became known to Koreans as one of the top Korean traditional wrestlers.
Happy Sunday is a Korean reality-variety show shown on the KBS2 network, which competes directly against MBC's Sunday Night and SBS's Good Sunday line-up. Although it has been broadcast since 2003, its line-up of shows has frequently changed, with a complete revamp occurring in Spring of 2007. At that time, three new shows were introduced – Are You Ready, High-Five, and Immortal Songs. Due to its poor reception, Are You Ready quickly evolved into 1 Night 2 Days, with most of its cast intact. In late November 2008, Happy Sunday had a revamp of its shows keeping 1 Night 2 Days as the second segment and bringing back Immortal Songs which was previously liked by viewers. However, in late March, Immortal Songs ended once again and was replaced with Qualifications of Men, making Happy Sunday an all-male cast, with a total of 14 members. In 2013, Qualifications of Men was cancelled and replaced with Star Family Show Mamma Mia. On November 3, 2013 Star Family Show Mamma Mia was moved to Wednesday nights and replaced with The Return of Superman.
New Heart is a 2007 South Korean television series, starring Ji Sung, Kim Min-jung, Cho Jae-hyun and Lee Ji-hoon. Directed by Park Hong-kyun and written by Hwang Eun-kyung, it aired on MBC from December 12, 2007 to February 28, 2008 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 23 episodes.
Lee Soo-geun is a South Korean comedian who has worked on a number of comedy shows on South Korean television. He began his career as a comedian on KBS Gag Concert.
Lee Kyung-kyu is a South Korean actor, comedian, MC, film producer, and screenwriter. He was the highest paid entertainer on the KBS network in 2010, with earnings of ₩535 million.
Park Mi-sun is a South Korean comedian and TV host of variety shows, notably Quiz to Change the World, Happy Together - Season 3, and We Got Married. In 1988, She made her official debut with a gold prize in the 2nd MBC TV Gag Contest. In October 1991, She moved to SBS when SBS was launched. She married Lee Bong-won, who moved to SBS at the same time. She expanded her field of activity to KBS after she declared her freelance in September 1994. She also starred in the sitcoms Soonpoong Clinic, Hilarious Housewives, and All My Love.
Korean Peninsula is a 2012 South Korean television series starring Hwang Jung-min and Kim Jung-eun. It aired on newly launched cable channel TV Chosun from February 6 to April 3, 2012 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 20:50 for 18 episodes.
Dream of the Emperor is a South Korean television series that aired on KBS1 from September 8, 2012 to June 9, 2013 on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:40 for 70 episodes.
Shin Dong-yup is a South Korean comedian and television comedy show host. He graduated from the Seoul Institute of the Arts. He became popular after appearing in SBS's variety program Happy Saturday and MBC's sitcom Guys n Girls.
Lee Hwi-jae is a South Korean TV presenter, comedian, actor, and singer. Lee studied theater at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, then made his TV debut in 1992 as a comedian after working as a floor director for MBC's entertainment program Sunday, Sunday Night. He shot to stardom in the program Life Theater. Since then, he has expanded his career to hosting variety shows such as Sang Sang Plus, Sponge and Quiz to Change the World. He was the third highest-paid entertainer at MBC in 2008, earning ₩574.5 million.
Kim Sung-joo is a South Korean television host and a former announcer. A former sports broadcaster and presenter, he became known to the wider public as a variety show host and for his stint on the reality-variety show Dad! Where Are We Going?.
Eyes of Dawn is a South Korean television series starring Chae Shi-ra, Park Sang-won and Choi Jae-sung. Directed by Kim Jong-hak and written by Song Ji-na based on the 10-volume novel of the same name by Kim Seong-jong, the story spans the years from the Japanese colonial period to World War II, Korea's liberation and the Korean War.
Im Ha-ryong is a South Korean actor and comedian. During the 1980s and 1990s, Im was one of Korea's foremost comedians alongside Shim Hyung-rae and Kim Hyung-gon. As his brand of comedy became less popular among younger viewers, Im started appearing in small supporting roles in films and television series, particularly those directed by Jang Jin. In 2005, he won Best Supporting Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for his first major film role as a veteran soldier in the hit Korean War dramedy Welcome to Dongmakgol. Other notable films include workplace/musical drama Bravo My Life (2007) and political satire Good Morning President (2009).
Park Na-rae is a South Korean comedian, signed to JDB Entertainment. In September 20 2024, Park Na Rae's contract with JDB Entertainment was ended.
Flowers of the Prison is a 2016 South Korean drama television series starring Jin Se-yeon, Go Soo, Kim Mi-sook, Jung Joon-ho, Park Joo-mi, Yoon Joo-hee, Kim Soo-yeon, Jun Kwang-ryul and Choi Tae-joon. It is MBC's special project drama to commemorate the network's 55th-founding anniversary. The drama also marks the 3rd time collaboration between director Lee Byung-hoon and writer Choi Wan-kyu, after Hur Jun and Sangdo. It replaced Marriage Contract and aired on MBC every Saturday and Sunday at 22:00 (KST) for 51 episodes from April 30 to November 6, 2016.
Bring It On, Ghost is a South Korean television series starring Ok Taec-yeon, Kim So-hyun and Kwon Yul. It is adapted from webtoon of the same name which was serialised on Naver from 2007 to 2010. The series aired on cable network tvN on Mondays and Tuesdays at 23:00 (KST) for 16 episodes from 11 July to 30 August 2016. The series was well-received domestically and internationally. It was ranked as the ninth most watched cable drama in Korea during 2016.
Squad 38 (Korean: 38사기동대) is a South Korean television series starring Ma Dong-seok, Seo In-guk and Choi Soo-young. It aired on cable network OCN on Fridays and Saturdays at 23:00 (KST) for 16 episodes from June 17, 2016 to August 6, 2016.
Yang Se-hyung, is a South Korean comedian and entertainer. He is most known for his work on the tvN sketch comedy show Comedy Big League and MBC's Infinite Challenge. His younger brother, Yang Se-chan, is also a comedian.
Kang Yu-mi is a South Korean comedian, actress, and YouTuber. She started her career in 2004 through KBS's open recruitment system, and was a cast member of the network's comedy show Gag Concert. In April 2017, she started a YouTube channel, which by 2022 had gained over 1 million subscribers.