Inflection point for veteran MCs

Change and crisis come to everyone. Even seasoned veteran MCs with over 30 years of experience cannot avoid it. The same goes for Yoo Jae-seok, Kang Ho-dong, and Shin Dong-yup, who do not stop making numerous choices and taking on challenges to maintain a firm position as the ‘top’.

Shin Dong-yeop won the grand prize trophy at the 2022 KBS Entertainment Awards and showed off his strong presence even in his 33rd year since debut. He was loved by people of all ages and genders for his skillful hosting skills that led long-running entertainment shows such as 'Animal Farm' to 'Immortal Songs' and his 19-year-old humor thrown at just the right places, but the title of 'Demon King of Obscenity' has recently returned as a shackle.

This began with the release of the Netflix entertainment show ‘Sex + Character’ starring Shin Dong-yup. In addition to showing the Japanese AV sex industry at a level that is not enough, the sight of Shin Dong-yeop joking around with AV actors made viewers feel uncomfortable. Accordingly, a flood of messages were posted on the bulletin board of 'Animal Farm', which is enjoyed by children and women, demanding that Shin Dong-yup leave.

However, Shin Dong-yeop cannot be asked to leave 'Animal Farm' because he did not commit any wrongdoing or act illegally. However, this controversy is bound to take a toll on Shin Dong-yup's image, who received the 'Grand Prize' last year for the first time in 10 years. The production team of 'Sex + Character' also publicly apologized in an interview, saying, "I feel sorry for Shin Dong-yeop. It is unfortunate that it is connected to the story of his departure," regarding the controversy, but the hearts of some of the public who have turned their backs cannot be changed.

Kang Ho-dong, who is in a crisis situation due to the poor performance of his programs, is aiming for a comeback through new entertainment shows. The three entertainment shows that Kang Ho-dong is currently appearing in are ‘Knowing Bros’, ‘Eating on the Side and Gongchiri 5 Competitors’, and ‘Meet Me at Gogi’. All grades are not good. 'Knowing Brothers', the only long-running entertainment show, is struggling to get out of the 3% range, and 'Eating on the Side and Gongchiri 5' is barely maintaining the 2% range even though it is a terrestrial TV show. ‘Meet Me at Meat’ is suffering the humiliation of 0%.

This is a painful situation for Kang Ho-dong as well. Compared to the days when he enjoyed his heyday leading shows such as 'Knee-Drop Guru', 'Star King', and '2 Days & 1 Night', the term 'national MC' is meaningless these days. However, Kang Ho-dong's task is to turn this crisis into an opportunity. As a way to overcome this, Kang Ho-dong joined hands with Lee Seung-gi and presented 'Strong Heart League' and 'Brother Ramen'.

For Kang Ho-dong, the ‘Strong Heart League’ is also a dangerous challenge. This is because there is pressure to surpass the popularity of ‘Strong Heart’ 10 years ago. Kang Ho-dong also said in the teaser video, "It wasn't all that enjoyable. The pressure to make actors with stories into the main characters has already begun." At the same time, he also mentioned the direction of change, saying, "Lee Seung-gi is now the star who will lead the 'Strong Heart League'. I will now hand over the proceedings to Seung-gi and play an active part as a player."

This change also came to Yoo Jae-seok. ‘What Do You Do When You Play’, which has been leading the show for 4 years, is being reorganized again after 9 months of reorganization. While the production team and members are all expected to change, Yoo Jae-seok, who must remain at the center, is bound to feel a lot of responsibility and worry. Yoo Jae-seok recently revealed his thoughts on the networking entertainment called 'U-Line' through YouTube's 'Excuse Go' and his true feelings about leaving as a member due to the reorganization, saying, "I am not happy just because I remain. Personally, I am very hurt. There are times when I want to quit all together." He also expressed his grievances.

Yoo Jae-seok is also an MC who is not afraid of new challenges more than anyone else. We are trying to keep up with the entertainment of the times by learning new formats such as YouTube channels, short-form entertainment, and live communication entertainment. This led to 1st place in the ‘Brand Customer Loyalty Awards’ for 4 consecutive years and 1st place in entertainer brand reputation.

If there is an uphill, there is a downhill, and if you go down, there is also a way up. It is an undeniable fact that Yoo Jae-seok, Kang Ho-dong, and Shin Dong-yup are still the ‘top’ in the Korean entertainment MC world. It will be fun to see how the entertainment landscape will change due to those who have reached a new inflection point.

Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr