17 years of 'Family Outing' loyalty... 'The Travelers' PD: "Choo Sung-hoon, Kim Jong-kook, Daesung are top priority for casting" [Interview ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

• SBS Plus new variety program 'The Travelers in Kyushu' interview with PDs Kim Jin-ho and Hwang In-mok

Kim Jin-ho and Hwang In-mok PDs, who directed 'The Travelers', expressed gratitude to Choo Sung-hoon, Kim Jong-kook, and BIGBANG's Daesung.

StarNews recently conducted an interview with PDs Kim Jin-ho and Hwang In-mok, who directed SBS Plus's new variety program 'The Travelers in Kyushu', at SBS Prism Tower in Mapo-gu, Seoul.

The travelogue 'The Travelers', featuring mixed martial artist Choo Sung-hoon, singer Kim Jong-kook, and BIGBANG member Daesung joining forces, is a journey filled with the three men's boundless competitive spirit, endless posturing, and childishness. It premiered on the 21st.

Director Kim, who took charge of the direction, has demonstrated strength in survival variety shows through previous SBS programs such as 'Law of the Jungle' and 'Jungle Rice'. PD Hwang In-mok has presented food and mukbang variety shows like SBS Plus's 'Eating and Watching Brothers'. In particular, this program is especially meaningful as it marks the first collaboration between Studio Prism and the SBS Plus channel.

Regarding the reason for bringing together the trio of Choo Sung-hoon, Kim Jong-kook, and Daesung, PD Kim stated, "From the beginning, we planned for Choo Sung-hoon and Kim Jong-kook as the top two. Their YouTube videos have received immense love, with viewership skyrocketing. While wondering who to cast as the final key to travel with these two 'real men,' we ended up pairing them with Daesung, who has a connection with both (Choo Sung-hoon and Kim Jong-kook)."

He continued, "Choo Sung-hoon is surprisingly shy and prefers people he is comfortable with. Since both are extremely busy, we could only secure a four-day filming schedule. Daesung has a connection with Kim Jong-kook as part of the 'Squint Brothers' and with Choo Sung-hoon through the 'Choo-Lai Choo-Lai' low kick, so we thought it was an unbeatable combination. All three were our top priority for casting."

The reason for choosing Japan as the first travel destination is also clear. It is a region tailored to 'Big Brother' Choo Sung-hoon, while also aiming to convey the unique atmosphere of Japanese small towns. PD Kim explained, "I personally visit Japan frequently. I thought it would be great if Choo Sung-hoon could introduce Japan as a host. Rather than introducing major Japanese cities as seen in various YouTube videos or other travel variety shows, we wanted to showcase small towns. That is our differentiator. We plan to travel to host-tailored regions in Season 2 as well."

He further added, "We intentionally excluded famous spots. We collaborated organically with local networks and the Japanese local team, walking around and eating more than 10 meals a day. On our part, we wanted to provide the utmost new fun and introduce places like gems."

Choo Sung-hoon, Kim Jong-kook, and Daesung readily decided to appear, given their deep connections with the production team. In particular, PD Kim has maintained a long-standing relationship with Kim Jong-kook and Daesung since their time on the SBS variety program 'Family Outing'.

Now, 17 years later, after reuniting with them, PD Kim said, "I felt that everyone now has more leisure time. Of course, none of the three were ever out of their prime, but in the meantime, Kim Jong-kook got married, and Daesung celebrated the 20th anniversary of BIGBANG's debut. They seem to have gained even more leisure time. It was a shoot where I felt many times that the 'vibe that comes from time' cannot be beaten," expressing his affection for the three.

PD Hwang also said, "It was the first time we reunited with the cast in nearly 18 years, so while I was happy, as a director, I had concerns about the program. Haven't variety styles changed a lot during this time? There was fear stemming from that, but as veteran cast members, they dispelled the production team's worries."

(Continued in Interview ②)

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*This content was translated by AI.