From Regional Gourmet Tours to Stray Kids in Seolbim... A Bountiful Lunar New Year Lineup

③2026 Lunar New Year Holiday Variety Shows
The Deep Flavors of Korean Cuisine... The Questions Return

Stray Kids. Provided by Korean Broadcasting System

During the Lunar New Year holiday, living rooms across the nation will be filled with a wide range of specials, from sounds of the past restored with artificial intelligence (AI), to global K-pop stars experiencing traditional culture, regional gourmet showdowns from across the country, and weighty social debates. Pilot programs that reflect the tastes of every generation will brighten up the holiday.

Global idol singers experience traditional Korean culture

KBS 2TV has scheduled the Lunar New Year special "Seolbim - Soul Beam," featuring global K-pop artists Stray Kids in a solo appearance, for 8:10 p.m. on the 16th. This fantasy reality show follows the globally popular members as they time-slip to the Joseon era by an unknown force and experience holiday traditions. Wearing hanbok, the members personally cook tteokguk, while also competing in traditional games such as tuho and jegichagi, reflecting on the meaning of Korean holidays. By reconstructing the signature games of the legendary 1990s Korean variety show "Family Entertainment Center," the program offers nostalgia to parents' generation and fresh fun to younger viewers.

The excitement was high even before recording. According to KBS, the public recording, which invited 400 audience members, drew more than one applicant per seat, resulting in a competition ratio of 25 to 1. Multinational fans matched the dress code of "Seolbim" and took part in the recording. Even before the broadcast, sales had already been finalized for Japan and Taiwan, as well as for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region.

From regional specialty showdowns to the philosophy of K-food... MBC's grand gourmet journey

MBC will air "Nationwide No. 1," which introduces regional specialties from across the country, at 8:10 p.m. on the 16th. Moon Seyoon, Kim Daeho, and Park Hasun will host, wittily presenting local specialties from each region and heightening the festive mood. Judging will be conducted in a blind format, with flavor alone determining the winner. A key viewing point will be the fierce head-to-head battle in which only one region chosen by the evaluation panel survives. Starting with the first Lunar New Year special episode, the second episode will air at 9:00 p.m. on the 23rd, followed by the third episode at 9:00 p.m. on March 2.

'Nationwide No. 1'. Provided by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation

Bapsang-ui Balgyeon. Provided by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation

MBC's three-part Lunar New Year special "Bapsang-ui Balgyeon" goes beyond the cooking methods of Korean cuisine to take an in-depth look at the wisdom and philosophy of ancestors contained within. Following the first episode, which aired on the 10th, the second story will be presented on the 17th. Actor Jang Keunsuk, known as a "home-cooked meal master," will host, and temple food master Monk Sunjae, along with chefs Yoon Namno, Fabri, and David Lee, will appear to share in-depth conversations.

The theme of Part 2 is temple food culture, which seeks harmony with nature. Experts from various fields will take part, including K-pop singers such as Tsuki of Billie and Dayoung of WJSN, as well as Professor Kwak Jaesik and master Onggi craftsman Kim Yongho, to explore the world of Korean cuisine. Then, in Part 3, which will air on the 24th after the holiday, the grand journey will conclude with the theme of a "naturalistic Korean dining table" using fresh seafood.

Questioning the principles of our time and restoring 100-year-old sounds

At 8:10 p.m. on the 18th, Season 4 of "Sohn Sukhee's Questions" will be broadcast live. MBC has set the theme of this fourth season as "Back to Principles" and will take an in-depth look at major issues facing Korean society. In the first broadcast that day, writer Rhyu Si-min, lawyer Keum Taesup, and media scholar Jung Joonhee will appear and engage in sharp debate under the theme "Sedition Trials and the Flow of the Political Situation."

This season will feature a large number of headline-making figures. Chef Choi Kangrok, winner of "Black & White Chef: Culinary Class War Season 2," and professional gamer Faker (Lee Sanghyeok), among others, will appear to pose meaningful questions about the principles of our society as seen from their respective fields. At the tail end of the holiday, the program will present viewers with social discourse and deliver a profound resonance.

EBS FM (104.5 MHz) will air the Lunar New Year special "AI Special - Lee Hwa Jungseon, 100 Years of Dialogue" at 12:00 p.m. on the 17th, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology. This special reexamines the life and art of Lee Hwa Jungseon, the greatest master singer of the Joseon era, from a contemporary perspective through a virtual dialogue between her AI-restored voice and that of a modern traditional vocalist. Listeners will be able to hear "Chuwolmanjeong," widely introduced to the public through the drama "Jeong Nyeoni," in the original voice of its creator, Lee Hwa Jungseon. Gugak artists Kim Junsu and Kim Yulhee will host Parts 1 and 2 respectively, vividly unfolding Lee Hwa Jungseon's artistic world across a span of 100 years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.