BTS’ V recently earned praise from renowned pop-culture critic Kim Heon-sik for spreading Korean culture around the world through his solo endeavors, namely his variety show Jinny’s Kitchen or Seo Jins.
Debuting in his first variety show outside group activities, BTS’ V joined Park Seo-joon, Choi Woo-sik, Jung Yu-mi, and Lee Seo-jin for the new spin-off series Seo Jins or Jinny’s Kitchen. The popular food-based variety show is the second installment in the series after Youn’s Kitchen, helmed by Oscar-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung, and unlike its predecessor, Jinny’s Kitchen focussed on Korean street food.
The cast members set up a restaurant in Bacalar, Mexico, with BTS’ V taking on the role of a dutiful server and an enthusiastic youngster in the team. Jinny’s Kitchen has been doing well locally and internationally, earning praise from pop-culture critic Kim Heon-sik, who credited “Main character V” for spreading the Korean or Hallyu wave around the world.
“The appearance of K-culture's main character V, combined with K-wave, such as K-food entertainment shows by witty producer Na Youngseok, will create a synergistic effect.”
BTS’ V’s variety show Jinny’s Kitchen is ranked number one in ten countries
BTS’ V’s appearance on Jinny’s Kitchen has certainly boosted the show’s popularity as it has become the first Korean entertainment program to be globally serviced on Prime Video.
Jinny’s Kitchen, which airs every Friday at 8.50 pm KST, enjoys immense success both in its home country of South Korea and internationally.
According to OTT ranking site FlixPatrol, Jinny’s Kitchen is ranked 15th on the 'Most Watched Show Worldwide' on Prime Video after its recent episode release. Notably, it is the sole entertainment program among the Top 20 on the list at the 15th spot. Additionally, it topped the rankings in 10 countries worldwide: Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
In a recent interview, pop culture critic Kim Heon-sik confessed that this comes as no surprise to him as he has been closely following Jinny’s ever since they got BTS’ V onboard and was sure of the show’s success. He then revealed that he was excited to see what the Singularity singer brings to the table as a new cast member:
“BTS is engaging in various activities by pursuing individual projects, and in this regard, V's appearance on 'Seojin' is something that I am eagerly anticipating.”
He also emphasized on the fact that BTS’ V’s indelible impact on global pop culture was instrumental in spreading a new wave of Hallyu or Korean culture to fans in a big way. He revealed that while K-pop and K-dramas have long been popular, Korean variety shows are slowly but steadily gaining worldwide popularity.
ARMYs took to social media to lavish praise on BTS member V and his massive impact in spreading Hallyu wave around the world.
Notably, BTS’ V was named as one of the most popular representatives of Korean culture alongside his own group, Parasite (Oscar-winning Korean film), Squid Game (Emmy-winning K-drama), and PSY’s Gangnam Style.
BTS’ V reunites with Wooga Squad to celebrate Choi Woo-sik’s birthday
BTS member V reunited with his Wooga Squad friends to celebrate actor Choi Woo-sik’s birthday. For the unversed, the Wooga Squad consists of members V, Choi Woo-sik, Park Seo-joon, Park Hyung-sik, and Peakboy. They have been best friends ever since V, Park Seo-joon, and Park Hyung-sik starred in the K-drama Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth.
Choi Woo-sik shared sweet reunion pictures with his Wooga Squad members. They huddled together for the post-birthday dinner photo. The actor shared the heartwarming picture with a sweet caption: “I had a great birthday!”
Jinny’s Kitchen airs every Friday at 8:50 pm KST on tvN, TVing, and Amazon Prime.