Is there anything more fun than throwing yourself into something new? Perhaps that explains why recent Korean reality shows are embracing “role reversal” as a central storytelling device. My Grumpy Secretary – The Assistants, in which actors Lee Seojin and Kim Kwangkyu try their hand at working as celebrity assistants, and The Wonder Coach, which follows retired volleyball legend Kim Yeonkoung as she steps up as a head coach, are both shows built around the thrill of venturing into unfamiliar territory. Even as they share this same setup of taking on a new role, the two programs evolve in very different directions.

“I’ve always been good at looking after people,” Lee Seojin says when explaining why he is perfect for the job of celebrity assistant in My Grumpy Secretary – The Assistants. And he’s not wrong. In the hit travel show Grandpas Over Flowers, he famously guided a group of veteran actors on a backpacking trip through Europe, expertly handling everything from the itinerary to the cooking. Though he has a reputation for being a bit gruff and prickly, viewers were often surprised by his unexpected, almost second-nature thoughtfulness. So, he reasons, what could be so hard about taking care of celebrities who live in the spotlight? The same goes for Kim Kwangkyu, who jumps into My Grumpy Secretary alongside Lee. He confidently boasts about his work experience, referencing his three years spent as a real estate agent, one year waiting tables, three and a half years in sales and five years as a taxi driver. But does that bravado hold up in this new line of work?

The decidedly old-school Lee Seojin can’t quite figure out when to laugh at the quirky, modern humor of a popular comedian like Lee Sooji. And for all his talk of his taxi-driving days, Kim Kwangkyu can barely manage to use a GPS device. They find themselves fetching coffee for their charges, joining in on runs they’d normally never attempt, and awkwardly filming social media dance challenge videos behind the scenes of the popular music show, Inkigayo. For them, the humbling, sweat-inducing trials of this new profession are an ordeal, but for the audience, it’s pure gold.

My Grumpy Secretary is a show that is not just about the fun of trying something new but also about the delightful comedy that comes from a complete reversal of roles. There′s an inherent awkwardness in having two celebrity assistants with an average age of 56 waiting on much younger stars who would normally have to treat Lee and Kim with deference. Of course, this is exactly what makes it so fun to watch when celebrities who are in on the joke, like Lee Sooji and U-Know Yunho, playfully boss them around. But it also leads to a different kind of comedy when the clients are much younger actors like Ji Changwook and Doh Kyungsoo, who are so intimidated by the dismissive attitudes of their senior actors-turned-assistants that they end up grumbling about not being able to get a single thing they wanted all day.

But the show isn’t just about the laughs coming from these rookie assistants’ mistakes. There are moments of genuine warmth, too, when Lee Seojin’s quiet thoughtfulness shines through or when Kim Kwangkyu’s affection for his younger colleagues is palpable. It’s in these moments that the show offers a glimpse into the difficulty involved in what celebrity assistants do on a day-to-day basis. Watching this show, you begin to see the world of celebrity assistants in a new light, as they are constantly working to help their stars shine. As you get drawn in by the humor of their unfamiliar challenges, you’ll find yourself smiling at the very human connections that form between these stars and their assistants, a bond that goes far beyond a simple professional relationship.

“The fixer for underdogs,” is what they called Kim Yeonkoung during her playing days. When she joined JT Marvelous (now Osaka Marvelous), the next to last-place team in Japan, she led them to their first-ever championship. When she went to play for Fenerbahçe, in the volleyball powerhouse of Turkey, she led them to their first CEV European Champions League title. She had a career of making the impossible possible. And now, she has taken on a new challenge: leading the Pilseung Wonder Dogs, a newly formed volleyball team made up of players who come from a variety backgrounds — pros from established teams, retired professional players and hopefuls wanting to make it big
in the unforgiving reality of a professional league with no second division system, pushed to the brink of retirement. They set an audacious goal: to become the league’s eighth professional team. Kim declared that if they couldn’t achieve a winning record of over 50% in a series of seven games, she would disband the team. This was not a challenge for television; this was real. And the results were astounding. After a rocky start, the Wonder Dogs began to grow exponentially under Kim’s leadership. In a stunning run, they beat the Daejeon JungKwanJang Red Sparks, the runners-up in the 2024–2025 pro league championship, securing three consecutive victories, achieving the 50% win rate and making a miraculous leap from “under” to “wonder.”

The Wonder Coach’s raw, unfiltered look at the world of women’s volleyball captured the public’s imagination and sparked a renewed interest in the sport. The show’s editing, which had the dramatic flair of a great sports Japanese anime like Haikyu!!, beautifully illustrated how a coach’s strategy and the players’ synergy can completely change the course of a game. It showed just how exciting women’s volleyball can be. And along the way, players who were once relatively unknown became beloved stars. From the team’s steadfast captain, Pyo Seungju, to the brilliant setter Lee Nayeon, who overcame her own inner struggles, to the Mongolian players Tamira and Enkhsoyol, who grew tremendously under Kim’s mentorship, to the resilient Moon Myounghwa, who completely shattered her reputation for being slow — every single player gained a devoted following. This on-screen growth also led to real-life comebacks. Lee Nayeon, who had retired, signed with the Incheon Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders. And in September, Kim Hyunjung also returned to the court, joining the Suwon City Hall volleyball team. It was a challenge that went beyond the bounds of a simple television show, and in doing so, it created a real, tangible change in the world.

Is there any field more enthusiastic about new challenges than the world of reality shows? Of course, these on-screen challenges always come with a safety net. But the reason these shows resonate so deeply is that they show that even if you fail, the joy of the journey is a worthy reward in itself.

• Jung Dukhyun is a pop culture critic who sheds light on the value
  of popular culture through his writing, broadcasting appearances and lectures..

• Available content may vary depending on your flight.

Shin’s Project

Mr. Shin (Han Sukkyu) is a legendary negotiator with the uncanny ability to make anyone accept his terms. Having left that high-stakes past behind, he now runs a humble fried chicken shop in a local market, guarding a mysterious secret. However, as he becomes entangled in the various conflicts of his neighborhood, his instincts as a negotiator are reignited.

The Paper (Season 1: 2025)

The creative team behind the Emmy-winning sitcom, The Office, reunites for this sharp new series. Set in the newsroom of an old local newspaper in the American Midwest, the sitcom delves into the survival and evolution of traditional medium of paper news in the digital age. Using the signature mockumentary style, the show captures the chaotic reality of journalism with a perfect blend of humor and realism.

The Open 2025 (153rd Open Championship) – Golf

The Open Championship is the world’s oldest golf tournament. This broad- cast vividly captures the intense strategic battles and laser focus of top-tier players as they compete at Royal Portrush, a golf club stretching along the coastline of County Antrim in Northern Ireland.

World Theme Travel: Happy New Year

This special edition of World Theme Travel offers a traveler’s eye view of New Year’s stories from around the globe. From unique festivals and rituals to the quiet hopes and expec- tations found in everyday moments, the program intimately conveys the universal excitement of a fresh start.

K-Food Show: A Nation of Kimchi

This food documentary unravels the story of kimchi’s establishment as a global icon of K-Food through the voices of local masters and food experts. The show traces flavors born from diverse ingredients, an artisan’s touch or sonmat, and fermentation processes in various regions.

• Available content may vary depending on your flight.