Meet Korea’s Celebrity Geniuses in ‘Brain Academy’: A New Era of Knowledge Quiz Shows

Channel A is launching an all-new knowledge quiz show titled ‘Brain Academy’, starring six of Korea’s most well-known celebrity intellectuals, including Jeon Hyun-moo, Ha Seok-jin, Lee Sang-yeob, Yoon So-hee, Hwang Je-sung, and Kwak Do. The show is set to premiere in late May.

As the title suggests, ‘Brain Academy’ brings together top-tier minds from the entertainment industry to tackle high-level quizzes curated by Korea’s leading scholars. Hosted by Jeon Hyun-moo, a graduate of Yonsei University with degrees in English Literature and Sociology—and fluent in four languages—he takes the role of the ‘Language Brain’ and team leader.

This powerhouse cast includes Ha Seok-jin, a Hanyang University Mechanical Engineering graduate, who also won Netflix’s brain-strategy show, ‘The Devil’s Plan’, making him the team’s ‘Engineering Brain.’ Ha reunites on-screen with Jeon Hyun-moo after their beloved chemistry on the former hit show Problematic Men.

Also joining them is Lee Sang-yeob, a Hanyang University alum with a Level 1 Korean History Certificate. Nicknamed the ‘History Brain,’ he aims to ace every historical question. Meanwhile, wonder-genius Yoon So-hee, who enrolled early in a science high school before majoring in Biotechnology at KAIST, brings scientific precision as the ‘Prodigy Brain.’

The only comedian of the group, Hwang Je-sung, is far from being comic relief. As a scholarship student in high school who aced Korea’s rigorous college entrance math exam, he represents the ‘Hidden Brain’ and showcases his intellectual prowess rooted in his Sungkyunkwan University education.

Rounding out the team is Kwak Do, widely regarded as Korea’s top science communicator with over 1.29 million YouTube subscribers. Known as a leading expert in popular science, he fulfills the role of the group’s ‘Science Brain.’

Each episode will feature a theme-focused quiz master introducing multi-level questions, allowing the ensemble to combine their unique strengths in a show packed with insightful humor, academic tension, and genuine camaraderie. The production team promises a knowledge-filled renaissance for quiz shows, inviting audiences of all ages to learn and laugh together.

“With some of Korea’s most brilliant minds from various fields uniting, ‘Brain Academy’ is set to redefine edutainment. Viewers will not only enjoy the thrill of the quiz but also experience natural deep learning,” the producers commented.

Don’t miss the premiere of Channel A’s ‘Brain Academy’ debuting later this May, where intelligence meets entertainment in one of the most highly anticipated quiz show launches of the year.