From the stadium to the studio: Retired Korean athletes bag gold in variety TV 작성일 11-27 21 목록 <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/11/27/0000080742_001_20251127070112534.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Kim Yeon-koung appears before a crowd after the "KYK Invitational 2025" Women's Volleyball all-star match on May 18 at Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon. [YONHAP] </em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> A theater in Seoul shook three times on a recent Friday night — once for a curling free-kick goal by Son Heung-min, then after a tenacious finish from Cho Gue-sung and again when footballing icon Lee Dong-gook stepped on stage before the audience. <br> <br> "Hello everyone, it's Lee Dong-gook," he said as the crowd erupted in cheers. Nearly 350 football fans had gathered to watch Korea's friendly against Bolivia — the first theater-viewing event hosted by Cass, the ubiquitous Korean lager, to celebrate its partnership with the Korea Football Association on Nov. 14. <br> <br> Lee's presence transformed the screening into something more than a match viewing, adding the excitement of seeing an icon up close. <br> <br> For Lee — a star striker whose career spanned over two decades — this kind of attention isn't new. After joining KBS's hit reality show "The Return of Superman" (2013–) in 2015 with his five children — he became widely recognized, transforming him from a player known mainly to football fans into a household name. <br> <br> After hanging up his boots in 2020, Lee leaned further into television, joining a steady stream of variety programs, including as a fixed member for "Let's Play Basketball" (2021), and most recently, season 4 of "The Gentlemen's League" (2019-). He has also been featured in TV commercials, serving as the face of pharmaceutical company Yuhan Corporation's magnesium product. <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/11/27/0000080742_002_20251127070112664.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Lee Dong-gook speaks during a viewing event hosted by Cass, a local lager, at the MegaBox theater in Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Nov 7. [WOO JI-WON]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/11/27/0000080742_003_20251127070112748.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Lee Dong-gook and three of his children smile in front of a football goal.[JOONGANG ILBO]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> In the theater, enthusiasm for Lee was evident. During every break, fans rushed toward him with jerseys, flyers and phones, hoping for a signature or a quick photo. <br> <br> "Watching the match with Lee was great," an attendee named Kim Soo-jin said. "Seeing him in person felt like being in a stadium. It was so much better with him." <br> <br> The athlete-turned-entertainer also said, "This was new and fun. I hope there are more events like this." <br><br><b>A new spotlight for retired athletes</b> <br> <br> Lee is one of many retired athletes in Korea finding renewed success in reality and variety shows — often becoming even more visible than they were during their playing careers. <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/11/27/0000080742_004_20251127070112877.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Seo Jang-hoon poses for a photo during a press conference for SBS's ″Rising Eagles″ held in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, on Nov. 26. [DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Few embody this shift better than Seo Jang-hoon. The 51-year-old basketball star dominated Korean courts in the 1990s, earning multiple MVPs as he gained a reputation for his intimidating presence and fiery temper. <br> <br> That feisty personality helped shape his unique television persona. Seo began appearing on talk and variety shows shortly after retiring in 2013, including "World Changing Quiz Show" (2008-15) in 2014. His true breakout came a year later when he joined JTBC's "Knowing Bros" (2015–), where his sharp humor made him an indispensable presence. <br> <br> Over the past decade, he has appeared on more than 40 programs and currently stars in five — with another premiering on Saturday. He will lead a celebrity basketball team on SBS's "Rising Eagles" as a head coach. It's also his first sports variety show in five years since the basketball series "Handsome Tigers" (2020). <br> <br> "As a former player, it's great to see so many sports variety programs on the air these days," Seo said during a press conference in western Seoul's Yangcheon District on Wednesday. "Although I wish we could have launched this show a little earlier, because there are quite a lot now," he laughed. <br> <br> In golf, the variety personality title belongs to Park Se-ri. After retiring in 2016, she appeared frequently on television — from the survival show "Law of the Jungle" (2011-21) to season 2 of "Sporty Sister" (2021-22) and even starred in TV commercials for products such as the topical pain reliever Ketotop and contact lens brand Acuvue. <br><br>She now serves as head coach of a women's baseball team made up of athletes from various sports including track and field in Tving's "Baseball Queen," which premiered Tuesday, alongside MLB veteran Choo Shin-soo. <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/11/27/0000080742_005_20251127070112929.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Star golfer Park Sae-ri poses for a photo during a press conference for KBS2TV's "Krazy Rich Korean" held at KBS in Yeouido, western Seoul, on June 10. [YONHAP]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/11/27/0000080742_006_20251127070113046.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Kim Yeon-koung speaks during a press conference for "Rookie Coach Kim Yeon-koung" held at MBC hall on Sept. 24. [YONHAP]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> The newest athlete to join this trend is former volleyball superstar Kim Yeon-koung. Her frank, witty and charismatic personality had long endeared her to fans, and she often went viral as a guest on entertainment programs. <br> <br> In September, just seven months after she led the Incheon Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders to the 2024–25 championship and announced her retirement, she returned as head coach of a squad of 14 retired, released or aspiring professional volleyball athletes on MBC's "Rookie Coach Kim Yeon-koung." <br><br><b>Sports variety becomes a category of its own</b> <br> <br> In the past, former Korean athletes typically appeared as occasional guests on variety or talk shows. But over time, many have managed to become regulars and even full-fledged entertainment personalities. <br> <br> This pattern is far less common abroad. In the United States, many athletes transition to media personalities, but mostly in commentary or analysis. After retiring in 2011, Shaquille O'Neal joined "Inside The NBA" (1989-) as an analyst, and still serves as a studio personality on the program a decade later. Other retired stars, like Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier — now a color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship — likewise stay within the world of sports. <br> <br> In Europe as well, retired footballers often stay close to the pitch, serving as coaches or club ambassadors. Even when they appear on television, the programs are generally sports-themed. <br> <br> In Korea, however, sports stars' media careers take a different trajectory. Retired athletes not only stay on screen as commentators but also feature in all kinds of shows, from reality programs to travel series and even food shows. And many have now become key figures, appearing as regulars and even hosting variety shows. <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/11/27/0000080742_007_20251127070113194.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">A still shows former basketball player Heo Jae in "Man On A Mission" (2021-) [SCREEN CAPTURE]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Their presence in the entertainment industry has only grown further in recent years with the rise of sports variety formats, where they appear as coaches of newly formed teams or as players themselves, blending competition with the personal narratives that unfold along the way. <br> <br> "When sports variety shows first emerged, they focused mainly on comedy," said culture critic Jung Duk-hyun. "But now the emphasis is on the true appeal of sports, including focusing on how to show the real fun of sports." <br> <br> He added that fans especially appreciate the access these shows provide. <br> <br> "Fans want to see the behind-the-scenes moments they can't get from matches, and sports entertainment shows make that possible. In 'Rookie Coach Kim Yeon-koung,' for example, every player wears a microphone and multiple cameras focus closely on each person. You simply can't do that in real matches." <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/11/27/0000080742_008_20251127070113266.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Footballer Ahn Jung-hwan poses at a “Hole In One Between Legends” (2022) press conference in western Seoul on Nov. 19, 2022.</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> One of the pioneers of the genre was "The Gentlemen's League" (2019-), which brought together retired athletes from various sports to form an amateur football team led by 2002 World Cup hero Ahn Jung-hwan. <br> <br> "The keyword is 'second challenge,'" said producer Sung Chi-kyung during a press conference back in 2019. "Ahn is taking on a new challenge as a coach, and legendary athletes from various fields are starting from scratch in football. We wanted to capture that journey." <br> <br> A show with a similar format, "A Clean Sweep" (2022-), featuring retired and semiprofessional baseball players, was also a hit. While the games themselves attracted interest, it was each member's backstory that built a dedicated fan base. <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/11/27/0000080742_009_20251127070113356.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Cast members of "A Clean Sweep" (2022-) pose for a photo [JTBC]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Critic Jung explained that the show's format itself makes deeper storytelling possible as well. <br> <br> "Sports are usually live, so once a game ends, it's hard to build a narrative around it. But sports variety shows are filmed first and edited later. This kind of editing structure reveals aspects of sports we normally can't see." <br> <br> And that appeal extends far beyond sports fans. <br> <br> Professing to never have been interested in volleyball, an office worker named Park Jae-in said she binge-watched the entire "Rookie Coach Kim Yeon-koung" series. <br> <br> "I cried multiple times," she said. "Their stories of growing and struggling moved me. I finished it in two weeks." <br><br><b>Why are retired athletes turning to variety shows?</b> <br> <br> "In the past, many athletes joined variety shows with a strong desire to become entertainers," critic Jung said, citing examples like wrestler-turned-popular host Kang Ho-dong and Seo Jang-hoon. <br> <br> But today, Jung said, that's not necessarily the case. <br> <br> "People want them to show the world of sports, see them keep contributing to that sport and stay connected to it. And that's what these programs focus on." <br> <br> Despite being on other kinds of shows, basketball's Seo said, "I'm on other programs that are all very different, but at the end of the day, what shaped me today is my identity as a basketball player. I've always felt that Korean basketball has been somewhat stagnant compared to other sports. So I joined thinking that if this show can help spark more interest in basketball, then it's my duty to be part of it." <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2025/11/27/0000080742_010_20251127070113439.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">A still from ″Rookie Coach Kim Yeon-koung″ [MBC]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> The TV critic also pointed to "Rookie Coach Kim Yeon-koung" as a clear example that shows "the purpose of these programs has changed." <br> <br> "In volleyball, there's no second-tier league. If a player is released from a team, they often have no choice but to retire entirely. That's why the show brought together retired or released players. Their real goal isn't to turn athletes into entertainers but to go back to the pro league or the tryout league. And we've already seen an example, with Lee Na-yeon actually making a comeback." <br> <br> Lee Na-yeon, who gained visibility through the show, recently signed with Heungkuk Life as a veteran middle blocker after performing well on the program. <br> <br> Jung added that these sports variety programs are "helping revive attention for sports that had been losing ground." <br> <br> "Interest in women's volleyball was waning rapidly after Kim Yeon-koung retired. Korea's international ranking fell, and the sport struggled for attention. But because of this program, public interest in women's volleyball is rising again. They're doing things that actual sports cannot: helping revive sports." <br> 관련자료 이전 [반도체도시 청주] ① '생산유발효과 24조원' M15X 가동 초읽기 11-27 다음 변우석·지수·현진 '얼굴 합 美쳤다'..파티장 압도한 비주얼 폭격 11-27 댓글 0 등록된 댓글이 없습니다. 로그인한 회원만 댓글 등록이 가능합니다.
