'Divorce Reflection Camp' Reaches 100 Episodes.. PD Says "Seo Jang-hoon, Park Ha-seon, and Lee Dong-geon Are Great Assets" [Q&A]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Divorce Reflection Camp' main director Lee Na-ra shared her thoughts on reaching the 100th episode, key directing points, and future direction.

JTBC's 'Divorce Reflection Camp' will mark its 100th episode on the 17th. Launched as a pilot broadcast in 2024, 'Divorce Reflection Camp' has consistently been loved for its unique format where couples experiencing conflict reflect on their relationship through housework surveys, expert counseling, and mediation processes. Over the course of reaching 100 episodes, it has spotlighted the diverse conflicts and reconciliation journeys of over 70 couples, establishing itself as a flagship entertainment program for JTBC.

In particular, Director Seo Jang-hoon's realistic advice, along with the empathetic perspectives of housework investigators Park Ha-seon and Lee Dong-geon, and counselor Lee Ho-seon's straightforward yet warm counseling, combined with professional legal advice from lawyers, have completed the unique identity of 'Divorce Reflection Camp'. The contributions of these individuals, who hold different perspectives and roles, are also the driving force behind why 'Divorce Reflection Camp' has been loved up to its 100th episode.

As it prepares to celebrate its 100th episode tomorrow, Lee Na-ra PD, who leads 'Divorce Reflection Camp', spoke about her thoughts on this milestone, the point she considers most important as a director, and the direction for the future.

Q. 'Divorce Reflection Camp,' which has established itself as JTBC's flagship entertainment program, has now reached 100 episodes. What are your thoughts?

▶The number 100 still doesn't quite feel real to me. Above all, it is by no means easy for people to share their most difficult moments and marital problems in front of a camera, so I am always grateful to the participants who mustered the courage to do so. Rather than feeling a sense of achievement from reaching 100 episodes, my first thought is that we have truly looked into the lives and relationships of many couples. So, while I feel happy, I also feel that my sense of responsibility has grown even larger.

Q. When directing 'Divorce Reflection Camp,' what do you consider the most important aspect?

▶Before taking on this program, I think I would first wonder 'who was at fault' when observing marital conflicts. However, after meeting many couples, I realized that marital problems are often difficult to explain simply in terms of right and wrong. Of course, there are issues that must be addressed, but in those processes, the way a couple has built their relationship over a long period is often hidden. Therefore, I now ask 'who was at fault?' less frequently than 'why have these two been continuing their relationship in this way?' for so long? I believe showing conflict and showing the reason for that conflict are different things. Although it is an entertainment program, I consider it most important to ensure that the participants' stories are not consumed lightly and that their hearts and relationships are conveyed properly.

Q. Have you recently considered or attempted anything new since taking on this program?

▶I have focused on delving deeper into the couples' counseling process. While it is edited to about 30 minutes for broadcast, in the actual camp, we conduct much longer counseling sessions to fully listen to the couples' stories and examine their relationship issues. We also newly introduced child psychology counseling for the same reason. We wanted to look into the hearts of children who might have been overlooked amidst the couple's conflicts and convey this to the parents. Even after filming, we connect couples and children with psychological counseling if they wish. I hope that the two-night, three-day camp becomes more than just a broadcast shoot; I want it to be a time when couples truly reconsider their relationship and, through this process, find happiness as a family.

Q. Director Seo Jang-hoon and housework investigators Park Ha-seon and Lee Dong-geon are important pillars of 'Divorce Reflection Camp.' What are the strengths and roles of these three people from the production team's perspective?

▶Their greatest strength is that they look at the same couple with different perspectives. Director Seo Jang-hoon has the power to intuitively pinpoint points that viewers are curious about. Sometimes he speaks coldly, but I believe that deep down, he wishes for this relationship to improve even a little. Housework investigators Park Ha-seon and Lee Dong-geon listen to and observe the couples' stories up close, discovering emotions and the hidden sides of relationships that viewers might miss. Because these three look at couples with different temperatures and perspectives, they can examine the relationship from multiple angles without leaning toward one side's position, which is a significant advantage.

Q. Counselor Lee Ho-seon's counseling and the role of lawyers participating in the mediation process seem indispensable.

▶The experts involved in this program have a deep affection for the participating couples. They carefully review videos beforehand and come prepared with extensive efforts to help the couples' relationships improve even slightly. Counselor Lee Ho-seon helps couples face their own actions through direct advice while also discovering clues that can lead to relationship improvement. Especially for those who may appear somewhat rough on the outside, he draws out wounds and heals them through long counseling sessions, finding their strengths. Lawyers point out realistic problems such as divorce, property division, and child custody that are difficult to resolve with emotions alone. If counseling is a process of looking into the couple's 'hearts,' I think the lawyers' mediation is a process of organizing those hearts into the language of reality.

Q. Is there any particular moment from producing this program that stands out in your memory?

▶The scenes where couples who initially seemed unable to understand each other at all create moments of small change are most memorable. There are moments when people who only ever yelled at each other, after going through counseling, finally listen to the other person's story until the end or say, 'I didn't know you were having such a hard time.' Even without dramatic reconciliations, I believe that the start of a relationship changing often lies in surprisingly small places. I love most the moment when they begin to see each other not as 'the opposing party in conflict' but first and foremost as 'a person.'

Q. Beyond 100 episodes, what kind of program do you hope 'Divorce Reflection Camp' will become?

▶In the future, I want to look more deeply into couples and relationships in various forms. I would like to cover stories of couples who appear to have no major problems on the surface but whose communication has stopped, couples who have grown indifferent to each other over a long period, and couples who have drifted apart due to realistic issues such as financial problems, child-rearing, or family relationships. Ultimately, I hope it becomes a program that deals not only with marital relationships but also with conflicts and resolutions in human relationships in general, going beyond simply finding out 'who was more at fault.'

Q. What message do you want to convey to viewers who have been with us up to the 100th episode?

▶'Divorce Reflection Camp' is not a program that tells people 'to divorce' or 'not to divorce.' I want to say that regardless of whatever decision they make, they need time to fully reflect on their relationship beforehand. Ultimately, I think the process itself called 'reflection' in the title is the most important meaning of this program. Although the program has reached 100 episodes, after meeting so many couples, I feel I have come to understand even more how complex and difficult human relationships can be. In the future, we will create a program that allows viewers to think at least once, 'What kind of person am I to my partner?' We are truly grateful to the viewers who have been with us up to the 100th episode and have cheered for the changes in the participants.

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*This content was translated by AI.