Korean comedy is the art of

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

, either enacted on stage, or within other media forms in the Korean language. It is not limited by country, so long as the actor has Korean roots.

Comedy in Japanese occupied Korea

First modern form of comedy plays started in 1913 by the Hyoksin troupe.which gave performances along with sob dramas.

Comedy in South Korea

The first tv comedy show in south korea is traced back to 1969 with the comedy show," Blessings come your way when you smile", which aired on

Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC; ) is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. ''Munhwa'' is the Sino-Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television station MBC TV broadcasts as channel 11. Es ...

(MBC).The show was based on the performances of musical play troupes known as akgeukdan(악극단).In 1975, the south korean government tried to ban comedy programs for reasons of comedies that are of low quality, but the attempt was retracted only in two weeks. The first "gag(개그,equivalent to slapstick comedies)" comedies are traced back to the show "Smile a little(살짜기 웃어예)" aired on

Tongyang Broadcasting Company Tongyang Broadcasting Company (TBC, 1964-1980) was a South Korean commercial television station which was merged by the government with KBS. It was owned by the Samsung Group founder Lee Byung-chul.Understanding Modern East Asian Politics - Page ...

in 1974.The show reflected the comedy trends that were popular in south korean universities.In the 80s, there were debates among comedians who base their comedy in comedy plays and the aforementioned "gag" comedies, with gag comedians often being derided as "stuff that would be more fitting for a school talent show", and comedians often derided as lacking creativity.However, after the 80s, comedy styles birthed by the gag comedians are the mainstream style of comedy, in the form of comedy skits, in shows such as

Gag Concert ''Gag Concert'' ( ko, 개그콘서트) was a South Korean sketch-comedy television show more commonly known as ''Gag Con'' ( ko, 개콘). It began airing on September 4, 1999 and aired its last episode on June 26, 2020, making it South Korea's ...

and

Comedy Big League ''Comedy Big League'' () is a South Korean comedy show presented by Shin Young-il and Bae Ji-hyun. It airs on tvN on Sundays at 19:45(KST). Seasons *Season 1 (September 17, 2011 - November 19, 2011) *Season 2 (December 24, 2011 - March 31, 2012) ...

. Most newspapers have a political cartoonist who will also heighten attention to current events with comic illustrations.

Comedy in North Korea

Jaedam

Jaedam(similar to traditional korean comedy

Mandam Naya ( ar, نايا; born 11 April 1992, in Lebanon) is a Lebanese singer. She was born to the Daw (Daou) family in El Qrayeh, Lebanon. In 2009, Eli Dib introduced her to the Arabic music scene. Recording career 2008–2009: Melody record an ...

) is a comedy genre that is similar to standup comedy,wordplay or puns.

Chongeuk

Chongeuk is north korean sketch comedy.

Gyoye

North korean circuses similar to slapstick comedies.

Manp'il

Man p'il is a satirical essay that was improved in north korea in 1961 by O Hong taek.In 1978, after the publishing of the manp'il,"What has been really grown so highly?(무엇이고도성장되였는가?)" by O Hong taek,Kim Jong il instructed the creative directions of the essay, airtimes , types and content. in late May 2005,the Pyongyang Broadcasting Corporation has revived comic folk tales for political commentary, in attempting to satirize American society, and political jockeying for power by using the a form known as ''manp'il'', or "comic notes" in a short acted dialogue using folkish humour and animal metaphors.

Political censorship

Satirizing north korean leaders are banned.Dr Dima Mironenko studied how the first romantic comedy film in north korea has no records remaining due to people being involved in the production being purged.

recent examples

In 2013, north korea aired a comedy show that imitates president Obama and south korean figures.

Famous Korean comedians

Haha Haha or ha ha is an onomatopoeic representation of laughter. Haha and variants may also refer to: People * Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (born 1992), American football player * Haha (entertainer) (born 1979), Entertainer Places * Saint-Louis-du ...

Jang Dong-min Jang Dong-min (; born July 20, 1979), is a South Korean comedian. He is known as ‘comedian who curses a lot’, (his comedy style is mainly on yelling and cursing). He is part of Gag Concert's 19th class (class of 2004), together with Yoo Se-yoo ...

Jang Do-yeon Jang Do-yeon (born March 10, 1985), is a South Korean comedian, signed with KOEN Group. She was a cast member in MBC's variety show, We Got Married, paired with actor Choi Min-yong. Education Jang was a student at Kyung Hee University's Colleg ...

Jee Seok-jin Jee Seok-jin (, born February 10, 1966) is a South Korean comedian, singer, television presenter, actor, and broadcaster. He graduated from Ajou University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. In 1992, Jee Seok-jin debuted as a ...

Jeon So-min Jeon So-min (; born April 7, 1986) is a South Korean actress, model and author. Jeon made her debut in 2004 with sitcom ''Miracle''. In 2006, she made her big-screen debut through the film, ''Cinderella (2006 film), Cinderella''. Jeon played he ...

Jeong Hyeong-don Jung Hyung-don (; born February 7, 1978) is a South Korean comedian and television host. He is best known for his roles on the variety shows ''Infinite Challenge'' and ''Weekly Idol''. Early life and education Jung was born in Gimcheon in Nort ...

Jeong Jun-ha Jeong Jun-ha (born March 18, 1971) is a South Korean comedian and entertainer. His well-known motto is "(Whether they) give love or not, (he) always gives love: Jeong Jun-ha" (정주나 안정주나 늘정주는 정준하). History Just after ...

Jo Se-ho Jo Se-ho (; born August 9, 1982) is a South Korean comedian. Discography Singles * 2007: ''Trun It Up'' (1집 Turn It On!!!) * 2013: ''Guest House Project No. 1312'' (게스트하우스 프로젝트 1312호) with * 2019: ''Where are You Now' ...

Kang Ho-dong Kang Ho-dong (born June 11, 1970) is a South Korean television host and comedian, who first became known to Koreans as one of the top Korean traditional wrestlers. In 2008, Kang Ho Dong became the first comedian in history to win the Baeksan ...

Lee Guk-joo Lee Guk-joo (李國主, born on January 5, 1986), is a South Korean comedienne under FNC Entertainment FNC Entertainment (; stands for "fish and cake") is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2006 by South Korean singer and recor ...

Kim Gu-ra Kim Hyeon-dong (, born October 3, 1970), better known as his stage name Kim Gu-ra () is a South Korean MC, comedian and radio host. Career He first appeared on television in the 1990s in comedy shows and comedy skits. Kim was blasted by the K ...

* Kim Jun-ho *

Kim Jong-kook Kim Jong-kook (; born April 25, 1976) is a South Korean singer, entertainer, and actor. Kim debuted as a member of South Korean duo Turbo in 1995. The duo was considered to be one of the most popular idols in that time and sold out millions of ...

Kim Jong-min Kim Jong-min (; born September 24, 1979) is a South Korean singer, dancer and television personality. He has been a member of the K-pop group Koyote since 2000 and a cast member of the variety show '' 2 Days & 1 Night'' since 2007. Kim has w ...

* Kim Jun-hyun * Kim Young-chul *

Lee Kwang-soo Lee Kwang-soo (, born July 14, 1985) is a South Korean actor, entertainer, and model. He made his acting debut in the sitcom ''Here He Comes'' (2008) and received further recognition for his roles in medical melodrama ''It's Okay, That's Love'' ...

* Lee Kyung-gyu *

Lee Su-geun Lee Soo-geun (; born February 10, 1975) is a South Korean comedian who has worked on a number of comedy shows on South Korean television. He began his career as a comedian on KBS ''Gag Concert'', and is under the management of SM Culture & C ...

Lee Hyuk-jae Lee Hyuk-jae (; born on July 5, 1973) is a South Korean comedian. Filmography Television shows * ''Road Show Quiz Expedition'' (KBS2 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1 ...

Lee Hwi-jae Lee Hwi-jae (born Lee Young-jae on December 29, 1972) is a South Korean TV presenter, comedian, actor, and singer. Lee studied theater at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, then made his TV debut in 1992 as a comedian after working as a floor dire ...

Park Myeong-su Park Myung-soo (born August 27, 1970) is a South Korean DJ, comedian, MC, singer, and songwriter who debuted on television in 1993, appearing on MBC. He co-hosted the top-rated comic variety programme ''Infinite Challenge'' and also hosted t ...

Park Na-rae Park Na-rae (; born on October 25, 1985) is a South Korean comedian, signed to JDB Entertainment. Early life and education As a teenager, Park attended . After successfully graduating from Anyang Arts High School, she went on to study at Sangm ...

Park Sang-myun Park Sang-myun (; born January 27, 1968) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his comic roles, notably in '' My Wife Is a Gangster'' (2001). Career Park Sang-myun graduated in 1987 with a Theater degree from Seoul Institute of the Arts ...

Park Soo-hong Park Soo-hong (born October 27, 1970), is a South Korean comedian and presenter. Career In 1991, Park won bronze in the National College Comedy Contest, making his official debut in the South Korean entertainment industry. In the early 1990s, Pa ...

Park Jun-gyu Park Jun-gyu (born June 27, 1964) is a South Korean actor. The son of acclaimed veteran actor Park No-sik, Park is best known for playing the role of Ssangkal in '' Rustic Period''. Filmography Film *''Quit Your Life'' (1971) *''Zip Up'' (1972 ...

Noh Hong-chul Noh Hong-chul ( ko, 노홍철 盧弘喆; born 31 March 1979) is a South Korean entertainer and entrepreneur. He is the co-host of the variety show ''Talents for Sale''. He previously appeared on the television programs ''Infinite Challenge'' a ...

Shin Bong-sun Shin Bong-sun (; born October 6, 1980) is a South Korean comedienne and entertainer. She took a five-year hiatus from comedy from 2010 to 2015, which ended when she joined ''Comedy Big League''. She is currently a member of the South Korean girl ...

* Shin Dong-yup *

Shin Jung-hwan Shin Jung-hwan (Hangul: 신정환; born 10 May 1974) is a South Korean singer and entertainer. He debuted as a singer in 1994 as a member of the K-pop group Roo'ra, and later became a frequent guest on South Korean variety shows. His career w ...

Song Ji-hyo Cheon Soo-yeon (born Cheon Seong-im on 15 August 1981), professionally known by her stage name Song Ji-hyo, is a South Korean actress and model. Song is one of the regular cast members of the South Korean variety show '' Running Man'' since 201 ...

Yang Sang-guk Yang Sang-guk (born October 1, 1983), is a South Korean comedian. References External links * 1983 births Living people South Korean male comedians People from Gimhae Gag Concert Society Game contestants South Korean Buddhists ...

Yang Se-chan Yang Se-chan (born December 8, 1986), is a South Korean comedian and singer. As of April 2017, Yang, along with Jeon So-min, was added as a regular cast member of South Korean variety show '' Running Man''. Personal life He is also famous for t ...

Yang Se-hyung Yang Se-hyung (born August 18, 1985), is a South Korean comedian and entertainer. He is most known for his work on the tvN sketch comedy show ''Comedy Big League'' and MBC's ''Infinite Challenge''. His younger brother, Yang Se-chan, is also ...

Yoo Jae-suk Yoo Jae-suk (; or ; born on 14 August 1972) is a South Korean comedian, host and television personality. He has hosted several variety television shows in South Korea, including ''Infinite Challenge'', '' Running Man'', '' Happy Together, and ...

* Yoo Sang-moo *

Kim Byung-man Kim Byung-man (born July 29, 1975) is a South Korean comedian, best known for his slapstick and acrobatic stunts as a ''Master'' in ''Gag Concert'', and survival skills in ''Law of the Jungle'' as he acts as the Chief of the show. In November 2 ...

Kim Shin-young Kim Shin-young (born December 20, 1983) is a South Korean comedian, MC and DJ. She debuted in 2004 on the SBS show ''People Looking For Laughter'' and won 'Best Variety Performer' at the 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards in 2006. She has hosted num ...

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