[Exclusive]MBC PD Kim Myeong-yeop: "Positive comments are abundant for 'Best Mountain' as the 'Second Infinite Challenge'... The title will change every episode, such as 'Best Mountain War,' 'Best Mountain Blind Date,' and others, extending up to 12 episodes." [Interview ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

PD Kim Myeong-yeop announced that the extended 12 episodes of 'Best Mountain' will feature different titles and formats each time, including 'Best Mountain War,' 'Best Mountain Blind Date,' 'Best Mountain All-Hands Battle,' 'Best Mountain School Trip,' and 'Best Mountain Wedding.'

PD Kim Myeong-yeop recently met with StarNews to share details about the MBC variety program 'Best Mountain.'

'Best Mountain' is Korea's first survival mountain variety show featuring intense competition toward the summit through various missions set in the mountains. The production team behind 'Radio Star' and 'Around the World with Kim' has come together. The cast includes Yoo Se-yoon, who was nominated for the male Choi U-su-sang (수상) award at the '2025 MBC Entertainment Awards,' along with fellow nominees Jang Dong-min, Boom, and Yang Se-hyung, and 'catfish' Heo Kyeong-hwan as a member.

'Best Mountain' was originally scheduled for five episodes. It began its first broadcast on May 3 and completed its pilot run by May 31. With a sensitive production team and cast, 'Best Mountain' secured a 'golden LINE-up' and competed in the Sunday 6 p.m. prime time slot against KBS 2TV's '2 Days & 1 Night' and SBS's 'Running Man.'

'Best Mountain' received disappointing viewership ratings of 1-2% due to insufficient word-of-mouth within its short run, but it gathered a dedicated fanbase on YouTube and other platforms, leading to a confirmed extension of seven episodes. The show will continue from the sixth episode on the 28th through the twelfth episode on August 9.

'Best Mountain' featured members climbing mountains of varying difficulty levels, from familiar Achasan and Yongmabong to Mangwusan, Daedunsan, the rugged Geumgangsan, and the Jirisan Baemudong course. At the mid-mountain point, surprise appearances by Chef Kouji, Imokase, and pastry chef Hwang Ji-oh created unique scenes where members enjoyed a dream meal. Most notably, the variety scene saw Yoo Se-yoon, Jang Dong-min, Boom, Yang Se-hyung, and Heo Kyeong-hwan, all seasoned performers, form a 'caviar combination' that had never existed before, delivering chemistry that exceeded expectations.

'Best Mountain' is a rare variety show with a format that breaks away from clichés, garnering even higher expectations for its extended episodes.

-PD, please give us a brief self-introduction.

▶I directed 'Radio Star' for over four years from 2021 to 2025, and this time I am presenting my first production, 'Best Mountain.'

-What are your impressions after completing the pilot broadcast for the first five episodes of 'Best Mountain'?

▶We showed everything we prepared with the unfamiliar subject of mountains. I believe we did everything we could. While we couldn't be free from viewers' reactions and ratings, I feel we did it without regrets.

-What was MBC's internal evaluation of 'Best Mountain'?

▶It was originally planned to end after five episodes. Since spring is typically a difficult period for viewership, they decided to extend it with that in mind. I had planned my vacation assuming it would end at five episodes, but I received a call from above around the time the fifth episode aired. I struggled climbing mountains 15 times in one month, and the programming department saw our program and said it was very good. It wasn't an easy time slot, but I am grateful for the opportunity and will strive to make it well. Viewers left so many comments that it felt like, 'Is this reaction really okay?' In this extended run, we aim to capture viewership. We will strive to beat 'Running Man' and '2 Days & 1 Night' at least once. Both programs are personally my aspirational shows, so competing against them is an honor.

-Fans of 'Best Mountain' have shown positive reactions, such as, "The second 'Infinite Challenge' has appeared," "Friday 'I Live Alone,' Saturday 'What Do You Do?' Sunday 'Best Mountain'—the golden age of MBC variety has come," "It's fun because it's pure comedians and MCs," and "The member combination is great."

▶There were more people leaving positive comments than I expected. Reading the comments, I thought, 'We are on the right track.'

-What were the reactions of the cast members after completing the first five episodes of 'Best Mountain'?

▶The seniors weren't obsessed with ratings, but they contacted me every week, reassuring me, 'You know ratings don't matter?' They were satisfied, so I thought I just needed to do well. However, the seniors said they didn't want to climb mountains in the additional episodes. (Laughs)

-Did the surprise guests like Im Woo-il, culinary expert Kouji, Imokase, Hwang Ji-oh, and announcer Park So-young, as well as the ingredients and game sets, move via helicopter or were they carried manually?

▶The guests also hiked, and the production team invested heavily to carry the equipment up manually. We conducted many site surveys to plan those routes. It was an honor to host such incredible figures, including Chef Kouji. Seeing people who actually climb mountains bring and share even fermented skate fish, we thought it would be good to provide something edible for the members, so we mainly invited chefs as guests.

-For the additional production of 'Best Mountain' episodes 6 through 12, what formats and content do you plan to show? What differentiation do you want to present compared to the competitive variety shows '2 Days & 1 Night' and 'Running Man'?

▶'Best Mountain,' 'Best Mountain War,' 'Best Mountain Blind Date,' 'Best Mountain All-Hands Battle,' 'Best Mountain School Trip,' 'Best Mountain Wedding'—the title will change every episode, showcasing various formats. We aim to go anywhere, whether mountains or the sea, and create a scenario where the seniors have fun. '2 Days & 1 Night' has a solid fixed viewership and excels at luck-based games. We wanted to play our own games. 'Running Man' is the ultimate king of variety; its games and missions have great build-up, and the cast chemistry is excellent. We intend to go differently from 'Running Man.' We aim for raw chemistry and an unrefined tone and manner.

-To be continued in Interview ②

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*This content was translated by AI.