'The Secret Friends Club' featuring Blackpink Jennie and A-list cast posts declining ratings

According to The Korea Herald, the program is structured in three segments. The first segment, spanning the opening three episodes, featured television personality Dex, mixed martial artist Chu Sung Hoon, and comedian Noh Hong Chul alongside Jennie.

The second segment stars actress Go Youn Jung, comedian Park Myung Soo, model-entertainer Hong Jin Kyung, and actor Jung Hae In.

The show follows a Secret Santa-style concept in which participants quietly immerse themselves in another cast member's daily routine to prepare a surprise gift without revealing their identity. Emphasizing sincerity and emotional connection rather than competition or spectacle, the program aims to deliver a more reflective style of entertainment.

Producer Kim Tae Ho said the show was designed to pursue empathy over stimulation. Speaking during a Feb. 20 roundtable at his production company TEO in Seoul, Kim said he wanted to explore formats beyond survival programs and other high-intensity genres that dominate the current variety landscape.

Kim also revealed that Jennie helped inspire the concept, reported Korea JoongAng Daily.

"Last August, Jennie told us she wanted to create content that could feel like a gift to viewers and fans during the year-end holiday season," said Kim. "We were especially drawn to the word 'gift' and that idea eventually led us to the concept of our show."

Despite the star power, the show has struggled to maintain viewership. Its premiere episode posted a nationwide household rating of 2.1%, roughly half that of its predecessor "King of Mask Singer," according to The Korea Times. Ratings then fell to 1.6% and 1.3% in subsequent episodes, Nielsen Korea reported.

The performance has prompted industry observers to question the extent of Jennie’s influence on television variety ratings. Some analysts suggest her appearances often generate initial online buzz but do not necessarily translate into sustained viewership.

Critics also noted that Jennie’s role within variety formats can appear more symbolic than central, with the show’s emotional momentum frequently driven by other cast members. They cite that several viral moments from the premiere episode, including Dex fleeing from Chu Sung-hoon and comedian Lee Su-ji discarding a gift, focused primarily on other participants, leaving Jennie visible but not always pivotal to the narrative.

Industry commentators also argue that gentler, "wholesome" variety programs like "The Secret Friends Club" require sharper strategic positioning, particularly through stronger fandom integration and clearer cast-centered storytelling.

Kim acknowledged the challenges, saying the production team intentionally chose a more difficult creative direction to offer audiences a different viewing experience. He added that the program's segmented, shorter structure was designed to provide concise storytelling rather than the extended episode runs typical of many variety shows.

"These days, a lot of shows run up to 12 episodes, but speaking personally as a viewer, there honestly aren’t many that I watch all the way through," he said. "Part of it is that I’ve been so busy that I can’t keep up consistently, but that also made me think of what if we condensed it into something like four episodes, where each part wraps up cleanly."

"Of course, if we had gone [with a fixed cast], we could have built more chemistry over time and taken a more relaxed approach with pacing and editing," he added.