"I want it to last as long as 'I Am Single'"... 'Sangnamja' Cho Sung-hoon, Kim Jong-kook, Daesung break through for Season 2 [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

• SBS Plus new variety program 'Sangnamja's Travel Guide in Kyushu' — Interview with PDs Kim Jin-ho and Hwang In-mok

Kim Jin-ho and Hwang In-mok PDs of 'Sangnamja's Travel Guide', featuring Cho Sung-hoon, Kim Jong-kook, and BIGBANG's Daesung, dreamed of creating a second 'I Am Single'. Their ambition is to become a long-running variety show that follows 'I Am Single', which has been loved for six consecutive years.

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

The 'Sangnamja's Travel Guide', featuring mixed martial arts fighter Cho Sung-hoon, singer Kim Jong-kook, and BIGBANG member Daesung, is a travelogue blending the three men's overflowing testosterone, unnecessary competitiveness, endless posturing, and childishness. It premiered on the 21st.

Director Kim, who took charge of the production, has demonstrated strengths in survival variety shows through past SBS programs such as 'Law of the Jungle' and 'Jungle Rice'. Hwang In-mok PD 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.

Explaining why he thought of the combination of Cho Sung-hoon, Kim Jong-kook, and Daesung, PD Kim stated, "From the beginning, I planned for Cho Sung-hoon and Kim Jong-kook as the top two. Don't their YouTube videos, in which they appeared, receive enormous love with views exploding? While wondering who to cast as the final key to travel with these two Sangnamjas, I ended up combining Daesung, who has a connection with (Cho Sung-hoon and Kim Jong-kook)."

He continued, "Cho Sung-hoon is surprisingly shy and prefers people he is comfortable with. Since they are all so busy, we could only secure four days for filming. Daesung has a connection with Kim Jong-kook as part of the 'Squint Brothers' and with Cho Sung-hoon through 'Churai Churai' low kicks, so I thought it was an unbeatable combination. All three were our number-one priority for casting."

The reason for choosing Japan as the first travel destination is also clear. It is a region tailored to 'Big Brother' Cho Sung-hoon, while also aiming to convey the unique atmosphere of Japanese small towns. PD Kim said, "I personally visit Japan often. I thought, 'What if Cho Sung-hoon introduces Japan as a host?' I wanted to introduce small towns rather than major Japanese cities seen in various YouTube videos or other travel variety shows. That is our differentiator. In Season 2, we plan to travel to regions tailored to the hosts."

He further added, "We intentionally excluded famous places. We collaborated organically with local contacts and the Japanese local team, walking around and eating more than 10 meals a day. From our production team's perspective, we wanted to provide the utmost new fun and introduce places like gems."

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

Now, 17 years later, PD Kim, who reunited with them, said, "I felt that they all now have 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 more leisure time as a result. It was a filming experience 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 I was happy, but as a director, I had concerns about the program. Haven't variety styles changed a lot during this time? There was fear arising from that, but since they are veteran cast members, they dispelled the production team's worries."

Earlier, at a press conference, Kim Jong-kook said, "It was really hard, but I went far for the sake of my family. I want to go straight home after work. But what can I do? I don't particularly like going abroad for broadcasts, but I went to bring you a lot of joy." His remark, considering his wife's reaction, drew laughter.

Regarding this, PD Kim stated, "Kim Jong-kook originally likes traveling. He probably said that for fun (at the press conference), but he seems to be doing very well since getting married. He approached this program actively and happily."

PD Kim also recalled Cho Sung-hoon from his past appearance on SBS's 'Law of the Jungle'. He said, "In the jungle, we could only see his side within that context, but this time I think we saw a new side. Cho Sung-hoon's YouTube is really fun, and from the production team's perspective, that side seemed to be the core. Fortunately, since the production team for this program is the same as 'Law of the Jungle', we are all close. Cho Sung-hoon is surprisingly shy, but perhaps because we filmed in a friendly atmosphere, that vibe seems to have been well captured in the broadcast."

Hearing this, PD Hwang also agreed, "What I felt while filming this time is that Cho Sung-hoon shows his true self much more when he is with people he is close to and comfortable with. Especially, his chemistry with the younger ones is great."

Daesung, celebrating his 20th year since BIGBANG's debut, properly fulfilled the role of the youngest member supporting Cho Sung-hoon and Kim Jong-kook in 'Sangnamja's Travel Guide'. PD Kim called Daesung a "variety genius," stating, "Cho Sung-hoon and Kim Jong-kook are sensitive and kind people. They are highly regarded even in the industry. Because they like kind people, that is exactly Daesung."

He also said, "When I watch Daesung, I naturally think, 'How can he be so kind and consistent?' He takes great care of not only the older brothers but also the production team. On the last day of the trip, (Cho Sung-hoon and Kim Jong-kook) said, 'We would have been in big trouble without Daesung.'"

PD Hwang also praised Daesung's character, saying, "Whenever there was food, Daesung would feed it to the staff one by one. Giving has become a habit. Everyone on set became a fan of Daesung. We were even invited to his concert."

The 'Sangnamja's Travel Guide' was filled with rich stories from the first episode. Ko Git-jip (President) was a long-time fan of Cho Sung-hoon's Japanese wife, Yano Shihoko, and the 2013-born guest who visited the restaurant was a huge fan of BIGBANG's Daesung.

Regarding the situation at the time, PD Kim joked, "We were surprised that Cho Sung-hoon didn't call Yano Shihoko right there. Moreover, we didn't even think Yano Shihoko would answer the phone right away. Fortunately, we didn't see Cho Sung-hoon calling Yano Shihoko separately during his break to apologize."

Regarding the 2013-born BIGBANG fan, PD Hwang said, "Daesung himself was surprised and amazed. It seems like a fateful meeting. After filming at the restaurant, we took commemorative photos, and even then, that fan kept crying with emotion."

Cho Sung-hoon, Kim Jong-kook, and Daesung captivated viewers with their incredible 'chatter power' from the first episode. Regarding their non-stop chatter, PD Kim said, "We left for Japan early in the morning, so everyone must have been tired, but they worked hard, and I was grateful. Seeing them enjoy it so much made me even more thankful."

He continued, "The moment when the combination of these three fits perfectly will be revealed in episode 3. The production team left, and the three of them chatted until dawn without drinking a drop of alcohol. As filming progressed, they became more comfortable, so it seems their true selves were naturally captured. You could say they fit well together," hinting at this to raise expectations.

PD Kim also said, "When I came back to Korea and checked what was filmed, it was the most fun. The jokes exchanged between the three and their serious conversations were naturally captured. Cho Sung-hoon and Kim Jong-kook are now in their 50s, and Daesung is also in his 20th year of debut. They had very diverse conversations. For example, topics like 'When are you getting married?' came up, and 'I thought I'd get married sooner too' were also mentioned. I think these are precious moments."

Since there was deep conversation that had never happened before, Cho Sung-hoon, Kim Jong-kook, and Daesung were also highly satisfied with this trip. PD Hwang recalled, "The last day of the trip was free time, and Kim Jong-kook bought coffee for the production team, saying, 'You worked hard. It was fun. It seems to have come out well.' We were satisfied because it didn't follow the standard script but came out in the style of the three, even if it was a bit rough."

So, how will the future trips unfold? PD Hwang urged, "We tried to create chemistry between the cast members that cannot be seen on TV. Actually, the chemistry gets better as it goes on, so I hope you focus on that part."

PD Kim said, "We wanted to introduce hidden gem-like places to the viewers. Many such places will appear on the broadcast, so please look forward to it. Following the SBS 'Law of the Jungle' that I managed for a long time, I hope 'Sangnamja's Travel Guide' also becomes a long-running variety show. Please watch with affection."

Finally, the two PDs mentioned SBS Plus's long-running dating variety 'I Am Single', emphasizing, "'I Am Single' has been on the air for six consecutive years. We hope 'Sangnamja's Travel Guide' will walk the path of long-running variety on the SBS Plus channel together."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.