The best part about watching K-dramas is that we get all the romance, suspense, emotion and drama wrapped up in 16 episodes and we are free to binge on many more! However, there is one category of Korean entertainment that has been entertaining us for decades and gives us a direct glimpse into the real-life personalities of our favorite idols and celebrities: Korean variety shows.
Korean variety shows have been on air since before some of their newest fans were born and they still find ways to surprise audiences. Some of these shows that have been entertaining us for more than a decade deserve a special badge of honor (and humor!).
1. “Running Man” (2010 – present)
If you haven’t come across this K-variety show, you have probably been living under a rock. The race-and-chase spinoff has become Korea’s longest-running variety show, recently crossing its historic 800th episode. The core cast — Yoo Jae Suk, Kim Jong Kook, Haha, and Ji Suk Jin — have been running the race since day one, and watching them age (gracefully and chaotically) alongside the show has become part of the charm. Sixteen years in, “Running Man” is still the show most likely to get your favorite idol ripping name tags off in a secluded building.
2. “2 Days & 1 Night” (2007 – present)
The veteran of this list, “2 Days & 1 Night,” has been sending its cast on wholesome (and occasionally miserable) camping trips across Korea since 2007 — nearly two decades of instant noodles, penalty games, random karaoke contests, and rock-paper-scissors deciding who eats and who doesn’t. The iconic and scenic locations with wild missions and absurd punishments (sleeping outdoors in a tent in freezing cold!) have made this show a fan-favorite that everyone wants their idol to appear on. The lineup has changed generations more than once, but its “Real Wild Road Variety” spirit hasn’t aged a day.
3. “Knowing Bros” (2015 – present)
JTBC’s classroom-set talk show turned its “no fixed guest structure” format into a genuine phenomenon, and over 500 episodes later it’s still the place where idols, actors, and even fellow variety legends go to let loose. The “high school reunion” bit could’ve gotten old fast — instead, it became one of the most reliable idol-promo stops in K-entertainment, precisely because the hosts never let the format go stale. Some of the internet’s most famous memes have come from idols genuinely letting loose on the show.
4. “I Live Alone” (2013 – present)
This show is proof that you don’t need a game or a mission to keep viewers hooked for over a decade — sometimes all you need is cameras in someone’s actual apartment. It might sound like borderline snooping into our favorite celebrities’ daily lives, but “I Live Alone” (also known as “Home Alone”) turned the mundane rituals of solo living into must-watch television. Its rotating “Rainbow Club” of cast members has weathered more than a few controversies and lineup shakeups while still finding new ways to make solitude look relatable, funny, and often aspirational.
5. “King of Mask Singer” (2015 – 2026)
The show that convinced the entire world that anonymous celebrities singing behind elaborate masks was a great idea — and it was right. After a full decade of unmasking everyone from rookie idols to legendary singers, “King of Mask Singer” wrapped its original weekly run at the start of 2026 and is set to return later this year in a new seasonal format. It’s a rare example of a K-variety show retiring gracefully instead of fading out — and its format has already been exported to over 50 countries.
6. “The Return of Superman” (2013 – present)
This was the OG parenting show where celebrity fathers took care of their kids for 48 hours without their wives. Thirteen years in, the chaotic, funny yet heartwarming format of fathers connecting with their kids, handling their tantrums and becoming an important part of their growth milestones is still going strong. Some of the beloved kids on the show were Tablo’s daughter Haru, fighter Choo Sung-hoon’s daughter Sarang, Song Il-Kook’s triplet boys (Daehan, Minguk, Manse) and Sam Hammington’s sons, William and Bentley. The show has survived a lot of cast lineup rotations and time slot changes, but hasn’t lost its charm.
7. “My Little Old Boy” (2016 – present)
Nearly a decade in, this SBS staple flipped the script by putting mothers in the spotlight instead, watching them react (often hilariously, sometimes tearfully) to footage of their grown celebrity sons living their everyday lives. Though it has time and again faced the controversy of the public demanding now-married cast members to be replaced with new, single (unmarried) cast members, the honor of winning the SBS Entertainment Awards’ Grand Prize is proof that a simple premise, executed with heart, can outlast plenty of flashier competitors.
It’s rarely the concept alone that makes a K-variety show last this long — plenty of shows have tried the same formulas and folded within a season or two. What all of these shows have in common is a willingness to let their casts become the format. Viewers aren’t just tuning in for the games anymore; they’re tuning in for people they’ve watched grow up on screen. In an industry built on turnover, that kind of loyalty is its own kind of achievement.
Which long-running K-variety show holds a special place in your heart? Let us know in the comments!
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