Abnormal Summit was designed to give Korean youth information about foreigners’ perspectives regarding popular topics. Seasoned TV hosts like Yoo Se-yoon, Jun Hyun-moo, and Sung Si-kyung are able to direct the program into a funny and enjoyable show. In this article, Channel-Korea will talk about the Multinational Korean talk show, Abnormal Summit. So stay tuned!
About The Show
Abnormal Summit is a Korean variety/talk show that aired from July 2014 to December 2017. The program took its inspiration from the annual summit of heads of state discussing global issues. Abnormal Summit was hosted by three Korean hosts and featured representatives from 11 different countries. The program talked about various topics, some of which were serious, and some of which were lighter fare. On the program, the multinational representatives gave their opinions about the topics for the day in fluent Korean. Korean audiences were able to gain various insight about the topics based on the perspectives of the foreign guests. Although the guests weren’t Korean natives, the cast had all been living in Korea for quite a long time. Guests from among Korean celebrities were invited to provide the perspectives of the Korean people. The popular host Hun Hyun-moo was the main host, while comedian Yoo Se-yoon and singer Sung Si-kyung acted as secretary general and chairman. Although the format of the program is more like a debate panel, the hosts and cast made the program fun, entertaining, and informative. Each of the representatives of other countries were allowed to show their country’s charm and character. Excellent program direction from Jun Hyun-moo, Sung Si-kyung, and Yoo Se-yoon made Abnormal Summit enjoyable and telling. According to the producer, fluency in the Korean language became the standard for the foreign cast. Abnormal Summit gained positive acclaim from the news and media for each cast member’s enlightening point of view.
Cast
Abnormal Summit invited eleven non-Korean cast members on its first episode. Several of the cast had already been regulars on Korean variety shows. Most of the foreign cast were professionals in their own field in Korea, and several other cast members were students that came to Korea to study language or other majors. From first episode to last episode, there were several cast replacements or additions. In 2014, Daniel Hooper was replaced by Daniel Lindemann of Germany, while Turkish Enes Kaya and Australian Daniel Snoeks left Abnormal Summit because of personal reasons. Three new representatives were added in 2015. They were Ilya Belyakov of Russia, Blair Williams of Australia, and Sujan Shakya of Nepal. After the show ended in 2017, several prominent cast members such as Albert Mondi, Zhang Yuan, Sam Okyere, and Tyler Rasch became regular guests on various other Korean variety shows.
Episodes & Topics
Abnormal Summit discussed various topics, ranging from culture, politics, lifestyle, human relationships, and popular trends. Although initially designed as a fun and entertaining program, the show received a warm response from Korean audiences. Koreans were able to learn about themselves from the perspectives of foreigners. The foreigner cast members had lived in Korea for quite a long time, which meant that their opinions were based on both their home culture and their current one. Even major newspapers and media outlets such as Korea Joongang Daily and the Korea Herald praised the topics and the quality of Abnormal Summit’s debate. Regarding recent political issues, the cast shared their deep thinking political views. Other than serious topics such as politics, crime, and the economy, Abnormal Summit discussed lighter topics such as personal relationships, pop culture, and other topics.
The show’s highest rating was achieved on episode 33, on February 16, 2015. At the time, British James Hooper appeared as a guest. James Hooper was the youngest British explorer to climb to the peak of Mount Everest. He did it at the age of just 19 years old. He encouraged viewers, especially the younger generation, to achieve dreams using a step-by-step approach, to embrace risk to learn something new, and to tell other people about one’s own dreams. Hooper mainly spoke in English during his appearance on the show. After his appearance in Abnormal Summit, he refined and improved his Korean language skills and appeared as a guest on various other Korean variety programs.
Ratings
Abnormal Summit aired from July 7, 2014 to December 4, 2017, spanning 177 episodes. Rating ranged from the lowest being 1.55% to the highest being 5.5%. Average ratings for the show were around 3%, which was extremely good rating for a show airing on cable television. Viewers ratings in 2016 and 2017 stabilized in a range between 2.3% and 4.2%.
