On Oct. 19, Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul was packed with people trying to get a glimpse of 11 men on stage. The men in question were not members of a popular boy band – although all fit the attractive, polished profile – yet people crowded around, eager to see and hear them talk. The men on stage were the cast of the popular talk show “Non-Summit,” which has captured the attention of many viewers, Koreans and non-Koreans alike. Airing on the network JTBC since July 2014, “Non-Summit” is a talk show wherein a panel of Korean-speaking foreigners participate in comprehensive discussions and debates on a variety of topics in a fun, light-hearted way.

Growing presence of international faces on Korean TV

Back in the early 2000s, there were three main foreigners who had visibility on Korean television, all of whom are naturalized Korean citizens: Lee Charm, born Bernhard Quandt, a native German who starred in multiple films and dramas, including the widely popular “Stairway to Heaven” (2003-2004); Seo Hye-na, born Ida Daussy, a French broadcast personality who became a household name across the country; and Ha Il, born Robert Holley, an American lawyer and broadcast personality known for his Busan accent.


The presence of foreigners on Korean television has increased over the years as the country has begun to open up to globalization. Several half-Korean actors, such as Daniel Henney, Dennis Oh and Julien Kang, helped Korean viewers become more accustomed to seeing non-Asian faces on screen. This led to more exposure for foreign actors, such as Hwang Chan-bin, also known as the French-born Pierre Deporte, who landed a leading role in the drama “Tamra the Island” (2009); Australian Sam Hammington, a regular on several variety and talk programs such as “Real Men” (2013-), “Witch Hunt” (2013-) and “Island Village Teacher” (2014); and Japanese actress Mina Fujii, who has appeared on the sitcom “Potato Star 2013QR3” (2013-2014) and the variety show “We Got Married: Global Edition” (2013-2014).

Globalized programming

In 2006, the KBS program “Global Talk Show” (2006-2010) began to contribute to the globalization of Korean programming by gathering a panel of foreign women to talk about various issues from their perspective. Despite its popularity, the show ended its run following criticism of a remark made by one of the panelists.

Fast forward to 2014, when a similar program was conceptualized, this time gathering Korea-based men from countries such as Canada, Italy, China, Turkey, Germany, Belgium, the U.S., France, Ghana and with a format that takes after a summit meeting, “Non-Summit” features a panel with 11 representatives from different countries who, together with singer Sung Sikyung and MC Jeon Hyun-moo as co-chairmen and comedian Yoo Se-yoon as secretary-general, tackle such varied topics as premarital cohabitation, sex education in the school system, rigid job applications and many more. Each panelist gets to share his opinion based on personal experiences as a non-Korean living in Korea.

The panelists, who all speak very fluent Korean, engage in friendly banter as they discuss subjects that allow for different opinions. Celebrity guest representatives are also brought in to add spice to the discussion.

Contrary to “Global Talk Show,” “Non-Summit” aims to not just foster cultural exchange but offer a forum where all participants can come to an agreement on a certain topic, as well as decide which opinion is more sensible.

The show has garnered popularity nationwide, with ratings as high as 6.8 percent, very good for a cable program. The popularity of its panelists has also led to appearances on other television shows. Turkey’s Enes Kaya appeared on the talk show “Magic Eye” (2014) and the comedy show “Saturday Night Live Korea” (2011-); Belgium’s Julian Quintart appeared on “Hidden Singer” (2012-); and the United States’ Tyler Rasch appeared on the talk show “Arguments” (2013). The other panelists, such as Ghana’s Sam Okyere, France’s Fabien Yoon and Japan's Terada Takuya, have appeared in various advertisements and fashion spreads for magazines.

The presence of international personalities on television programs such as “Non-Summit” has helped both Korean and non-Korean viewers learn more about Korea. With every issue discussed, audiences can get a better understanding of the Korean perspective of the world, learning about nuances that would otherwise go unnoticed.

*Article from Korea Magazine (December 2014)