INTERVIEW Ex-comedian moving K-variety show to Philippines

ShowBT's Jung Sung-han.

By Dong Sun-hwa

K-pop and K-dramas have been hot in the Philippines, and now the time is ripe for K-variety shows. This time, however, the show is not merely a cookie-cutter version of a Korean program.

Jung Sung-han, 47, a former member of popular gag trio “Cult Triple” and head of entertainment firm ShowBT, is meeting this task head-on.

“Hybrid is the key,” Jung told The Korea Times. “Philippines people have a different sense of humor, so we have Korean writers' scripts modified by native writers who add, subtract, divide and multiply, so to speak, to better entertain viewers.”

Jung's first hybrid gig is a game show mixing Korean and Philippines culture, “Aja-Aja! Tayo!” which is ready to be aired in the Philippines on July 21.

He is the first Korean to receive permission to air his show on TV5 for 13 consecutive weeks.

“Aja-Aja! Tayo!” follows Korea's “get physical” show format, which is composed of physically challenging skits but adds a sense of humor that could satisfy Filipinos.

“Koreans may find the program familiar, because it reminds them of popular Korean shows from the 1990s,” Jung said. “Two teams will go head to head, with one Pinoy captain, two Filipino celebrities and two Korean stars making up one team.”

The games include couples limbo and group rope-skipping, many of which require cooperation between males and females.

Jung concluded that the Philippines was one of the most appropriate places to attempt a cultural hybrid, after investigating several Southeast Asian countries.

“First, the Philippines has a large population that uses English. Hence, their postings and other activities on social media can easily go viral,” Jung said.

“The entertainment market in the Philippines is more open as well ― an actor can be a singer or a comedian if they want, so if they top one field, it is easier to dominate other fields, too. This is a bit different in Korea, where a celebrity cannot expand into other areas with equal ease.”

Jung is also creating the hybrid boy band SB19, all Filipinos trained in K-pop and American style. The band will make its debut next month, after the premiere of “Aja-Aja! Tayo!”

“In addition, appearance fees for celebrities are comparatively low in the Philippines,” Jung said. “However, anti-Korean sentiments aroused by issues such as the Kopino problem could obscure the future of hallyu.”

Jung, who is involved in almost all phases of the show's production, is now editing the show. He hopes the premiere will get a 15 percent or higher rating.

As a culture industry leader in the Philippines, he oversaw the 2018 Miss Korea Pageant regional preliminaries there on May 8.

He will also manage the Turtle Marathon in the Philippines. The 6km walkathon in Korea is hosted by Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times.

“I used to have a repetitive routine when I was a comedian, but now I feel more released and satisfied,” Jung said.