"If you're tired, do unplanned workouts"… Choo Sung-hoon, Kim Jong-kook, and Zico's "The Manly Travel Guide," a raw journey across Taiwan [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

Choo Sung-hoon, Kim Jong-kook, and Zico come together for an unpredictable, impromptu trip. The three are set to showcase a raw travel experience and unfiltered banter through "The Manly Travel Guide in Taiwan" (hereinafter referred to as "The Manly Travel Guide").

On the 6th, a press conference for the new variety show "The Manly Travel Guide" by SBS Plus and MBN was held online. PD Kim Jin-ho, mixed martial arts fighter Choo Sung-hoon, singer Kim Jong-kook, and Zico attended the event.

"The Manly Travel Guide" is a "raw travelogue" of extreme male personalities who enjoy their trips according to their instincts. Following the unpredictable journey and banter-filled bromance that disarmed viewers in the previous season, "The Manly Travel Guide in Kyushu," Choo Sung-hoon and Kim Jong-kook embark on an even more thrilling impromptu trip with new youngest member Zico.

On this day, PD Kim Jin-ho explained the background behind choosing Taiwan as the travel destination, stating, "We have received a lot of love in Taiwan." He added, "Since we ranked number one for three consecutive weeks on Taiwan's largest OTT platform, we wanted to introduce Taiwan and decided to visit."

PD Kim Jin-ho also revealed why he recruited Zico as the new member. He expressed his gratitude, saying, "He was at the top of our recruitment list and agreed very readily." He further explained, "Since Choo Sung-hoon and Kim Jong-kook are 'young fifty' (a term for men in their 50s who act young), I thought the balance would be good," heightening expectations for the chemistry with the new member.

Regarding his rapport with Kim Jong-kook, whom he reunited with after the previous season, Choo Sung-hoon said, "It's incredibly comfortable. Since I work out more than other celebrities, there is that kind of banter." He added, "He is my junior, but he doesn't feel like a junior. Sometimes, because he knows a lot of things, he seems like a senior."

He continued, "But sometimes it gets a bit annoying. So I think that kind of banter will be fun this time too," eliciting laughter.

In response, Kim Jong-kook said, "There are times when Choo Sung-hoon feels like an older brother who is a local tough guy. We actually enjoy it more when that side comes out." He added, "It's not the image from previous broadcasts; he really has the vibe of an older brother hanging around the neighborhood, so I feel comfortable, and since he treats me that way, it was comfortable for him too."

Zico, who joined as the youngest member, said, "I received extremely devoted treatment, just like T.O.P of BIGBANG did when he was the youngest." He shared, "The older brothers are comfortable. It's comfortable because I am at the bottom from the start, and formal speech feels more natural to me than casual speech."

He added, "Rather than being cared for, just being left alone is the most devoted treatment for me." He continued, "Since the older brothers treat me very casually, I lived comfortably without any discomfort."

Zico also expressed satisfaction, saying, "When living in a community, we each fulfill our roles, but once work is done, we become thoroughly individualistic. That is wonderful."

Choo Sung-hoon said he also had sincere conversations with Zico. He revealed, "I like drinking, so it would be nice to talk and drink at night while traveling, but Kim Jong-kook is not like that." He added, "He just puts in earphones and watches YouTube alone." He continued, "But Zico drinks a little. We also talked together at the end." He added, "It would be good if there were even a little bit of that kind of time."

Regarding the program's style, Kim Jong-kook said, "We are not reality TV. It is semi-reality." He explained, "If we plan everything here and feel tired or bored, we don't do it. We also do unplanned workouts."

He added, "There are many changes while filming, and we don't strictly follow a pre-set script. That is what makes it fun."

In response, PD Kim Jin-ho explained, "The production team plans the schedule, but if the cast says they don't want to do something, they say no, and if they don't want to go somewhere, they don't go. The production team feels at ease with that too." He added, "During location scouting, we visit several times more places than needed, so if there is a place we want to go, we respond immediately, obtain permission, and proceed."

Zico also shared, "It doesn't feel like just a travel program. Travel is just taking a plane; it feels like we are capturing our true selves without omission through a travel platform." He continued, "I thought of it as merely a set where we exchange words in certain environments and episodes unfold. It felt more aligned with my nature."

Choo Sung-hoon also appeared on "The Manly Travel Guide" ahead of his retirement match scheduled for November.

Regarding this, Choo Sung-hoon said, "This offer came before I decided to fight." He revealed, "There were some overlaps, but when the production team said they wanted to work out, they showed consideration and accommodated it." He added, "I worked out while traveling, and it felt like a bit of a break, which was wonderful."

Regarding the highlights of this journey, Zico said, "First, we did a descent. We come down from above." He previewed, "You will probably see me letting go as well."

In response, Kim Jong-kook said, "Zico let go a lot. The atmosphere is completely different between when he first arrived and when it ended. There will be fun in watching that." He added, "There are likely places you know, but we went to new places instead of the obvious ones. There will also be fun in seeing that."

Choo Sung-hoon said, "I always eat strange things. I will eat strange things this time too," previewing his unique food experiences and bringing laughter.

PD Kim Jin-ho also said, "There are two low-kick scenes." He urged viewers to watch the broadcast to find out who hit whom how, heightening curiosity.

"The Manly Travel Guide" will air its first episode at 9:40 p.m. on this day.

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*This content was translated by AI.