Nobody expected the second season of "Superstar K"to become more popular than the first season, but it exceeded all expectations.�Cable shows are considered successful if they can get a 2~3% �viewer rating, so the overall 10% rating is an incredible achievement. The eighth episode, which aired on the 10th, received a 12.756% rating (based on AGB Nielsen Media Research standards and Mnet & KMTV aggregates) and became "the king of cable".�So what is the magic behind the high ratings? We went over some of the factors that make Super Star K season 2 such a hot topic. The cable advantage: Three years ago, MBC's "Show Survival" gained attention by having singers who failed large agency auditions compete with each other for the number one spot. However, it failed to keep viewers interested because of the lack of real competitive anticipation."Super Star K" was different. Unlike public television, cable television has less regulations and limitations, and can show the reality on-and-off camera. An audition-based show always has fierce competition, and showing the conflict process is what draws viewers. In comparison, "Show Survival" had to control what was said on-air, which forced the contestants to hide their true intentions, creating an unrealistically happy competition with no thrill. Viewers were bored by this. The excitement of a survival concept: An audition show is a series of problem-solving processes. Excitement is maintained by the fact that someone is always eliminated. Viewers become excited rooting for their favorite contestants and are surprised when an unexpected contestant comes through victorious. The audition process is also as exciting as the results. The viewers can enjoy watching the contestants grow more and more as artists, simply because they are amateurs and not pros. The viewers and participants can live vicariously through each other: According to representatives of "Superstar K", the reason that over 1,340,000 people �participate in this program is because they can live a surrogate star life. The representative stated, "Normal people can work toward their dream of becoming singers, and I think this is what is appealing to them." The touching moments: "Superstar K" is both fun and touching. Each episode's successes and failures is not only enjoyable for the viewers, but emotionally moving as well. The judges break into tears from having to eliminate the hardworking talents, and there are often heart-rending stories behind the contestants' reasons for auditioning. Careful editing: Even the successful "Superstar K" cannot avoid criticism about editing problems. Many contestants are so focused on beating their competition that they become careless in front of the camera and act inappropriately. This in turn causes viewers to become fired up and embark on an endless witch hunt, criticizing contestants for their behavior without even considering their positions. The representative for the program responded, "We know all too well that the program changes drastically depending on how we edit it. Because of this, we edit each episode very carefully. However, I think a lot of Koreans think that everyone must be kind. Even to people with unique personalities, they try to force the stereotype that they must always be polite and nice. We want to highlight the contestants' unique colors." (S: Kuki News)