Kim Seon-tae and Jeon Hyun-moo: Did they target the "I Live Alone" controversy with a "spontaneous travel promotion"? [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

YouTuber Kim Seon-tae uploaded a travel video with the concept of "spontaneous travel."

On the 4th, Kim Seon-tae posted a video titled "Spontaneous Travel Promotion" on his YouTube channel.

That day, he began his opening at the Chungju city bus terminal, saying, "It's 6 o'clock now. I'll randomly board any city bus and go to its final stop," showcasing his spontaneous travel adventure.

Waiting for the first bus at the terminal, he decided on a bus bound for Bangdae Village. Kim Seon-tae explained, "Bangdae Village is in Sansik-myeon, which was my assigned village, so I remember it well. Officials in each district office are responsible for specific villages. In Sansik-myeon, there are 26 villages, and officials are assigned responsibility for about three to four of them."

He further emphasized, "I happened to travel to my assigned village by chance. It wasn't pre-planned."

Viewers who watched the video reacted with comments such as, "Isn't this a shot at 'I Live Alone'?", "It feels like he's announcing that this is 'spontaneous travel'," and "The timing is incredible."

Meanwhile, MBC's variety show "I Live Alone" recently faced controversy over allegations of manipulation surrounding Jeon Hyun-moo's spontaneous travel episode in Almaty, Kazakhstan. On the same day, the production team clarified, "The 'spontaneous travel' depicted in the broadcast refers to Jeon Hyun-moo deciding his destination and flight tickets on the day of travel without prior arrangements." They added, "To prepare for potential overseas filming opportunities related to this episode, the production team reviewed flight options and filming conditions in advance."

The production team explained that they anticipated a high likelihood of selecting Kazakhstan as the destination. To ensure immediate readiness for filming if flights to Kazakhstan were booked, they pre-booked staff tickets and requested local cooperation for on-site shooting.

This marked a reversal of their earlier stance denying any filming support or sponsorship. The production team stated, "'I Live Alone' has always prioritized conveying the daily lives of its participants as authentically as possible. However, in this episode, we leaned too heavily on maintaining the program's realism and immersion, failing to provide sufficient explanation about the actual filming process. As a result, we caused misunderstanding and confusion among viewers and were unable to respond promptly and clearly to subsequent questions. We sincerely apologize for our insufficient judgment and response as a production team."

They further bowed their heads in apology, saying, "We will take the criticism and reprimands you have sent us seriously. Returning to our original intentions, we will reevaluate our production methods and attitudes from scratch and strive to create more thoughtful broadcasts."

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*This content was translated by AI.