[Exclusive]"The members were exactly the same." The PD of 'Wanna One Go' recounts the reunion scene [★Research Lab] [Interview ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

[Editor’s Note] [★Research Lab] StarNews meets with individuals who drive the entertainment industry, uncovering their unique know-how and success strategies. We introduce the practical experience and philosophy of those who quietly pave the way behind the glamorous stars.

"I was worried about not meeting expectations. But the members were exactly the same."

"Recently, StarNews met with PDs Lee Yeon-gyu and Park Chi-heon, who directed Mnet Plus' 'Wanna One Go: Back to Base' (hereinafter 'Wanna One Go'), at the CJ ENM Center in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, and discussed various topics regarding the program, including its production and behind-the-scenes details.

"Wanna One Go: Back to Base," which recently concluded, is a reality show capturing the youthful moments of the group Wanna One gathering at Wanna Base after seven years, laughing and playing together, creating new memories, and becoming an even stronger 'us.' The sincere process of members who have been active in their respective fields for a long time coming together at 'Wanna Base' to write a new page of their youth brought deep emotion to fans.

"Wanna One" (Kang Daniel, Park Ji-hoon, Lee Dae-hwi, Kim Jae-hwan, Ong Seong-wu, Park Woo-jin, Ra-kwan, Yoon Ji-sung, Hwang Min-hyun, Bae Jin-young, Ha Sung-woon) achieved explosive popularity and sparked a phenomenon immediately upon their debut in 2017. Although they officially concluded their activities with their final concert in January 2019, this 'Wanna One Go: Back to Base' project led to a reunion after approximately seven years, garnering significant attention.

"Especially, as Wanna One left a significant mark on K-pop history by achieving overwhelming results in all areas including music, albums, performances, and variety shows during their active period, the production team began the project with a unique sense of responsibility and burden. It was not enough to simply bring the members together again; they had to authentically capture the natural relationships and growth that emerged as these individuals, who had been scattered for a long time, reunited.

"PD Park said, 'Wanna One is such a famous group, and the existing 'Wanna One Go' series was also a highly loved program, so there was anxiety about whether we could meet expectations.' He added, 'While good results alleviated some of that anxiety, as a production team, we still feel some regret about whether there was a better way to do it.'

"PD Lee also recalled, 'I was worried about how the public would view Wanna One after such a long time. I was also worried whether the members would show their old selves, but when we actually met, they were all exactly the same.' He continued, 'The members fit well into the well-structured format prepared by the production team. The entertainment value was good, and their chemistry was so strong that it seems to have turned out as well as expected. Since the members were exactly the same, I thought we just needed to do our part well.'

"Above all, the significance of this 'Wanna One Go' series was particularly special for PD Park, as he achieved his first major directorial credit. He had previously participated in the production of the super-large-scale singing survival show 'VS' and 'Boys Planet' 1 and 2.

"PD Park conveyed his feelings, saying, 'Being in a position where I had to take responsibility for everything, rather than just being a team member, I felt a great burden as I was still inexperienced. I also felt the burden of worrying whether viewers would find it uncomfortable. However, being with PD Lee Yeon-gyu allowed me to approach it comfortably.'

"As a senior, PD Lee commented on PD Park, 'He worked diligently and steadfastly, achieving great results with sparkling ideas. As the main PD, he must have had a heavy mental burden, and taking on a reunion project for a group with such a large fandom was also difficult, but I believe he did well until the end.' He added, 'It recorded 150 million views. I think that is by no means a small number. While the expectations were high and so was the worry, I am simply grateful that many people liked it.'

"In this season, the direction the production team considered most important was 'Wanna One exactly as they are.' The production team put great effort into capturing both the image of Wanna One that fans remember and their current selves, resulting in the completion of special content with meaning beyond a mere reunion.

"PD Park explained, 'I wanted to show not only their pure past selves but also the parts that had changed as time passed.' He continued, 'We aimed to capture natural moments, such as sharing updates on each other's lives and introducing new connections formed while each member was active. That is why we invited actors Shin Seung-ho, BTOB's Lee Min-hyuk and Seo Eun-kwang, and director Jang Hang-jun.'

"Additionally, PD Lee said, 'We paid a lot of attention to the Wanna One fandom (Wanna One) and Kang Daniel's room. Through the Wanna One room, we wanted to show that fans had not forgotten Wanna One.' He added, 'Although they each have their own lives, I thought it would be interesting if they gathered and slept in one room, which led to the idea of Kang Daniel's room. I thought, "What if they feel uncomfortable?" but they actually got along very well.' PD Park added, 'Having them share one blanket was because Wanna One is one; doesn't a family sleep under one blanket?'

"Continued in Interview ②."

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

*This content was translated by AI.