# Changing Majors
**Changing Majors** (전과자, also romanized *Jeongwaja*) is a South Korean web variety show produced by the content company ootb (오오티비) in which the host visits universities across the country and experiences a different academic department in each episode. The Korean title is a pun: 전과자 can mean a repeat offender, a former convict, or a student who changes majors, and the creators define the concept as 매일 전과하는 남자, "the man who changes his major every day".[1](https://www.hankookilbo.com/news/article/amp/A2022111017200005597) • [2](https://koreasowls.fr/decouvrez-les-universites-coreennes-avec-lee-chang-sub-btob/) The first episode was released on November 11, 2022 on the ootb STUDIO YouTube channel, with new episodes each Thursday at 6 p.m.[1](https://www.hankookilbo.com/news/article/amp/A2022111017200005597) • [3](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC%EC%9E%90%28%EC%9B%B9%EC%98%88%EB%8A%A5%29)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 전과자 (Jeongwaja); English title Changing Majors[4](https://www.koreandrama.org/changing-majors/) |
| Premiere | November 11, 2022, ootb STUDIO YouTube channel, Thursdays at 6 p.m.[1](https://www.hankookilbo.com/news/article/amp/A2022111017200005597) • [3](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC%EC%9E%90%28%EC%9B%B9%EC%98%88%EB%8A%A5%29) |
| Hosts | Lee Chang-sub of BTOB, seasons 1–5; Kai of EXO, season 6 onward[3](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC%EC%9E%90%28%EC%9B%B9%EC%98%88%EB%8A%A5%29) |
| Format | Each episode, the host enrolls for a day in one university department and reviews its classes, labs, and student life[5](https://enews.imbc.com/News/ViewAmp/394488) |
| Season length | About 16 episodes over roughly 4 months, timed to the university semester[3](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC%EC%9E%90%28%EC%9B%B9%EC%98%88%EB%8A%A5%29) |
| Viewership | About 3.13 million average views per episode as of September 2023; season 6 totaled 103.52 million cumulative views[5](https://enews.imbc.com/News/ViewAmp/394488) • [6](https://news.nate.com/view/20250704n05611) |
| Spin-offs | Short-form drama 전과자: 스낵무비 (2025) and the dating spin-off 전과팅[7](https://enews.imbc.com/M/Detail/448571) • [8](https://v.daum.net/v/pkPJ664q1H) |
| TV broadcast | A re-edited TV version aired on ENA from May 23, 2025[9](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20250515_0003176265) |
## Spoilers
Because this is a variety show rather than a drama, the spoilers below are a tour of what actually happens on camera, department by department.
### Plot
#### Seasons 1 to 5: the Chang-sub era
Jeon-gwa (전과) means changing or transferring majors, so each episode is framed as the host transferring into a new department. Lee Chang-sub, a singer with a well-earned reputation for being chaotic, arrives at a university campus, meets the students and professors of one department, and spends the episode living their schedule. He sits in on real lectures, gets called on in class, attempts the department's practical work, and usually ends the visit being graded or tested by students who are far better prepared than he is.
The departments are the real stars. The show visits an e-sports department, where Chang-sub discovers that playing games for a degree involves actual coursework and actual embarrassment. It visits [Dongguk University](https://www.edgepedia.org/dongguk-university)'s Department of Police Administration, an episode remembered for the class's merciless hazing of their celebrity transfer student: the running question "Are you going to be a police officer?" is described in the episode material as vicious words that appear in class, rolled, thrown, and tattered, while Chang-sub is put through police-style drills and then rewarded with pizza, noodles, and chicken, the department's legendary menu.[19](https://flix.cruisehub.live/tv/220255) Other visits take him into art and media programs, where a pop singer with a decade of stage experience finds out that drawing a webtoon panel or operating studio equipment is a different kind of skill entirely.
**The single most famous stop of the Chang-sub era is the Yeonsung University cafeteria.** The episode, remembered by fans as episode 22, turns the mundane question of what students eat into the episode's centerpiece: Chang-sub tours the cafeteria's menu, eats his way through it, and reacts with the unfiltered delight that made him the right host for this show. The bit landed so well that the series treated it as canon. A year later, in season 4's tenth episode, the show returned to Yeonsung University specifically to inspect the increased cafeteria menu, framing the sequel as a checkup on whether the school had kept up its standards while Chang-sub faced the webtoon students' line work and perspective lessons.[20](https://kodiapps.com/episode-220255-4-10)
Across these seasons the show settles into its rhythm: arrive, be humbled, learn one genuinely surprising fact about the major, eat something, and leave with the students having adopted their temporary classmate. Viewers repeatedly singled out the concept's freshness, noting that the show surfaces majors most people did not know existed, the e-sports department being the standard example.[21](https://mydramalist.com/744019-jeongwaja)
#### Season 6 onward: the Kai era
After five seasons, Chang-sub stepped down and Kai of EXO took over as the second major changer.[21](https://mydramalist.com/744019-jeongwaja) The handoff changes the show's texture more than its structure. Where Chang-sub's comedy was loud and self-sabotaging, Kai's is earnest and game, a dancer being politely out of his depth. He continues the circuit of departments with the same rules: real classes, real students, real consequences.
His episodes push into stranger territory. Season 6's April 24, 2025 episode sends him to Jeju National University's Department of Aquatic Life Medicine, billed as the nation's first variety show to perform a fish dissection on camera. The department supplies olive flounder, which the synopsis cheerfully notes is the number one snack for alcohol, and the episode doubles as a travelogue with locals' tips on Jeju.[22](https://flixi.com/tvshows/changing-majors/season/6) A K-pop idol elbow-deep in a flounder, narrated as public-health education, is the show's formula at full stretch, and the series kept expanding it through nine seasons and 139 episodes of YouTube releases ending March 26, 2026.[23](https://episodetime.com/show/changing-majors-34018/season/1)
#### Winter Vacation Special (2023)
A four-episode spin-off ran in 2023 in which Chang-sub, freed from the classroom, tried out university clubs instead of majors: broadcasting, cheerleading, stock investing, and theater.[24](https://www.koreandrama.org/changing-majors-winter-vacation-special-spin-off-2023/) It is the same joke pointed at extracurricular life, and it let Chang-sub take a farewell lap through campus culture between his hosting eras.
### Characters
- **Lee Chang-sub** (himself), singer of BtoB and the original major changer. His hosting style is the engine of the first five seasons: he commits fully to every assignment, fails loudly, eats enthusiastically, and treats the students as peers rather than props.
- **Kai** (himself), of EXO, the second major changer from season 6. Polite, curious, and physically capable, he is the straight man the departments never quite expect, whether he is surviving police drills or dissecting a flounder.
- **The students and professors** of each visited department are recurring co-stars in effect, and BtoB members [Seo Eun-kwang](https://www.edgepedia.org/seo-eun-kwang), Lee Min-hyuk, Lim Hyun-sik, Peniel Shin, and [Yook Sung-jae](https://www.edgepedia.org/yook-sung-jae) appear in connection with the series' cast listings.[23](https://episodetime.com/show/changing-majors-34018/season/1)
### Interpretations and controversies
There is no controversy to speak of; the show's only debate among fans is the host handoff itself, with Chang-sub loyalists mourning his chaotic energy and Kai's fans arguing his earnestness suits the format better. The audience score of 8.1 reflects a consensus that the concept, not the host, is the star.[21](https://mydramalist.com/744019-jeongwaja)
### Sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations
The Winter Vacation Special of 2023 is the only spin-off, sending Chang-sub through university clubs rather than departments.[24](https://www.koreandrama.org/changing-majors-winter-vacation-special-spin-off-2023/) The series has no source material; it is an original YouTube format.
## Concept and format
Each episode sends the host to one department at a Korean university, where he attends lectures and practical sessions, meets students, and introduces the department's curriculum and campus culture. The production company frames the series as a "campus culture revival project" carrying information, empathy, and nostalgia.[5](https://enews.imbc.com/News/ViewAmp/394488) Coverage is not limited to Seoul and the Gyeonggi region; provincial universities appear regularly, and the show has also filmed abroad, reviewing the [University of Hong Kong](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-hong-kong) in season 3 and Osaka University in season 4.[3](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC%EC%9E%90%28%EC%9B%B9%EC%98%88%EB%8A%A5%29)
A season runs about 16 episodes over roughly four months, filmed to match the start of the university semester and usually ending when vacation season begins, with uploads typically lagging filming by three to four weeks because of editing.[3](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC%EC%9E%90%28%EC%9B%B9%EC%98%88%EB%8A%A5%29) Because the content must be understandable to a general audience, the show focuses on material that majors would consider elementary, which is especially visible in natural sciences, engineering, and medicine segments; when genuinely difficult lectures appear, the editing leans on comedy to carry them.[3](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC%EC%9E%90%28%EC%9B%B9%EC%98%88%EB%8A%A5%29) From season 6 the format widened beyond classes to experiences as other university members, including the student council and ROTC training.[10](https://www.fnnews.com/news/202503211738445449)
## Hosts
**Lee Chang-sub.** The singer Lee Chang-sub of the group BTOB was the first host, appearing as a freshman student called "Jeongwaja" rather than as himself from season 1 through season 5. Director Ko Dong-wan, who had previously launched Jang Seong-gyu on *Workman* and Hwang Kwang-hee on *Nego King*, cast him as the show's sole MC and predicted a similar rise.[1](https://www.hankookilbo.com/news/article/amp/A2022111017200005597) Lee's signature ending was composing a three-line acrostic poem with the visited department's name, a habit he passed on to his successor.[10](https://www.fnnews.com/news/202503211738445449) In February 2025 he announced his "graduation" after season 5, saying he had made 66 major transfers and was stepping back to strengthen his vocal cords and focus on his main career; Kai took over.[11](https://asiaartistawards.com/news/detail/122573/photo)
**Kai.** Kai of EXO became the second host with season 6, which began March 20, 2025, the day after his military discharge, with a first episode at the KAIST chemistry department in Daejeon, chosen partly for the wordplay with his name.[10](https://www.fnnews.com/news/202503211738445449) • [12](https://www.hankookilbo.com/news/article/A2025032611290005377) The production team said they had pursued Kai for years after noticing his variety instincts when Jang Seong-gyu tried being an EXO manager on *Workman*.[13](https://isplus.com/article/view/isp202504070161) Kai's deliberately poor celebrity impressions, delivered with his hand over his face, became a widely shared meme among [Generation Z](https://www.edgepedia.org/generation-z) viewers.[6](https://news.nate.com/view/20250704n05611)
A running gag ties subscriber milestones to military service: when the channel reached 500,000 subscribers Lee Chang-sub served in the army, at 1.5 million he served in the air force, and at 2 million Kai was slated to enlist; a visit to the Korea Maritime University's navigation department was jokingly counted as navy service.[3](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC%EC%9E%90%28%EC%9B%B9%EC%98%88%EB%8A%A5%29)
## Seasons and reception
The show is ootb's longest-running series and the first entry in the company's "~하는 자" ("the one who does ~") franchise universe, which later produced *Saeipja*, *Daepyoja*, and other titles.[14](https://www.etnews.com/20240926000108) Season records run from season 1 (November 2022 to January 2023) through season 9, which began September 3, 2026 with Kai experiencing the third year of a medical school program, and a monthly special segment called 출소자 featuring guest MCs.[3](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC%EC%9E%90%28%EC%9B%B9%EC%98%88%EB%8A%A5%29) • [15](https://www.ootbstudio.co.kr/)
Viewership grew quickly. By September 2023 the show averaged 3.13 million views per episode.[5](https://enews.imbc.com/News/ViewAmp/394488) Season 4 averaged 3.81 million views, and a Hong Kong University episode marked the channel passing one million subscribers.[16](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1112303537) Season 6 closed with 103.52 million cumulative views, a single-episode peak of 2.84 million for the Sogang University English department episode, and multiple entries on YouTube's trending charts.[6](https://news.nate.com/view/20250704n05611) By May 2025 cumulative YouTube views exceeded 1.2 billion, the figure ENA cited when scheduling the TV version.[9](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20250515_0003176265) The subscriber community goes by the nickname 스낵이 ("Snack-ee").[3](https://namu.moe/w/%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC%EC%9E%90%28%EC%9B%B9%EC%98%88%EB%8A%A5%29)
## Spin-offs and broadcast expansion
The franchise extended into fiction and dating formats. 전과자: 스낵무비 (*Jeongwaja: Snack Movie*), a short-form drama sharing the show's universe, premiered on February 14, 2025, with ten episodes of about ten minutes each released Fridays; it follows a newly admitted student named Jung-ha and other students across majors, built from interviews with real students.[7](https://enews.imbc.com/M/Detail/448571) During university vacations the show runs a spin-off called 전과팅 (*Jeongwating*), a campus dating program hosted by Lee Chang-sub and Kai together; its second season began in 2026 with themed episodes such as a dating-averse special and planned semiconductor engineering and medical school editions.[8](https://v.daum.net/v/pkPJ664q1H)
The series also crossed to television. From May 23, 2025, ENA aired a TV version re-editing ten episodes, from Lee Chang-sub's Korea Army Academy episode to Kai's KAIST chemistry episode, on Fridays, the channel's second YouTube-to-broadcast adaptation after *Salon Drip 2*.[9](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20250515_0003176265)
## Controversy
In October 2023 the program faced accusations of mistreatment of students during campus filming, including claims that staff behaved high-handedly and restricted movement through campus spaces. The production acknowledged that controlling foot traffic near stairs during filming had caused inconvenience, and the channel announced a one-week hiatus to reorganize, saying remaining department reviews would be filmed more carefully and safely.[17](https://www.indinews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=3010) • [18](https://v.daum.net/v/tdqyu7iHga)
## References
1. [단독] 웹예능 '전과자' 고동완 PD "이창섭, 제2의 장성규·황광희 될 것", Hankook Ilbo (November 11, 2022). https://www.hankookilbo.com/news/article/amp/A2022111017200005597
2. Découvrez les universités coréennes avec Lee Chang Sub (BTOB), Korea's Owls (March 18, 2023). https://koreasowls.fr/decouvrez-les-universites-coreennes-avec-lee-chang-sub-btob/
3. 전과자(웹예능), Namu wiki. https://namu.moe/w/%EC%A0%84%EA%B3%BC%EC%9E%90%28%EC%9B%B9%EC%98%88%EB%8A%A5%29
4. [Changing Majors Korean TV Show - KoreanDrama.org](https://www.koreandrama.org/changing-majors/)
5. "비투비 이창섭, 군대 또 보내겠다"…'전과자' PD의 각오 [인터뷰M], iMBC (September 16, 2023). https://enews.imbc.com/News/ViewAmp/394488
6. 오오티비 '전과자6' 조회수 누적 1억뷰 돌파, Sports Kyunghyang via Nate (July 4, 2025). https://news.nate.com/view/20250704n05611
7. 이창섭 '전과자', 숏폼 드라마로 나온다…14일 공개, iMBC (February 12, 2025). https://enews.imbc.com/M/Detail/448571
8. [공식] '전과자' 스핀오프로 또 만났다…이창섭X카이, Tenasia via Daum (2026). https://v.daum.net/v/pkPJ664q1H
9. 웹예능 '전과자', ENA에서 다시 보세요, Newsis (May 15, 2025). https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20250515_0003176265
10. 2대 '전과자' 카이, 대학 용어 테스트, News1 via Financial News (March 21, 2025). https://www.fnnews.com/news/202503211738445449
11. "목 건강 때문" 이창섭, '전과자' 졸업한다..후임은 엑소 카이 [공식], AAA Press (February 17, 2025). https://asiaartistawards.com/news/detail/122573/photo
12. [단독] '전과자' PD "엑소 카이, 오랜 러브콜 끝 섭외", Hankook Ilbo (March 27, 2025). https://www.hankookilbo.com/news/article/A2025032611290005377
13. 이창섭 가고 카이 왔다… 1000만 웹예능 '전과자'로 예능돌 될까[줌인], Ilgan Sports (April 7, 2025). https://isplus.com/article/view/isp202504070161
14. "가고 싶은데 못 간 대학교"…'전과자' 이창섭, 방문 학교는?, ET News (September 26, 2024). https://www.etnews.com/20240926000108
15. 오오티비(ootb) company news, ootb Studio. https://www.ootbstudio.co.kr/
16. 이창섭 여동생, 알고보니 약학대 졸업한 수재..즉석 전화통화(전과자), OSEN (March 28, 2024). https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1112303537
17. "소리 지르고 가라고 명령까지" 이창섭 주연 "전과자" 촬영 갑질 폭로에 모두 경악, Indi News (October 6, 2023). https://www.indinews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=3010
18. 갑질 논란 '전과자', 한 주 쉬어간다, My Daily via Daum (October 12, 2023). https://v.daum.net/v/tdqyu7iHga
19. [https://flix.cruisehub.live/tv/220255](https://flix.cruisehub.live/tv/220255)
20. [https://kodiapps.com/episode-220255-4-10](https://kodiapps.com/episode-220255-4-10)
21. [https://mydramalist.com/744019-jeongwaja](https://mydramalist.com/744019-jeongwaja)
22. [https://flixi.com/tvshows/changing-majors/season/6](https://flixi.com/tvshows/changing-majors/season/6)
23. [https://episodetime.com/show/changing-majors-34018/season/1](https://episodetime.com/show/changing-majors-34018/season/1)
24. [https://www.koreandrama.org/changing-majors-winter-vacation-special-spin-off-2023/](https://www.koreandrama.org/changing-majors-winter-vacation-special-spin-off-2023/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › Korean and East Asian web series*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license