[Exclusive]'Choi Su-san' PD: "Yoo Se-yoon = A ruffian who dances the knife dance well.. Heo Kyung-hwan = Has good character and must succeed" [Interview 2]

*This content was translated by AI.

PD Kim Myeong-yeop praised the members of 'Choi Su-san' until his mouth was dry.

PD Kim Myeong-yeop recently spoke directly to StarNews about the MBC variety program 'Choi Su-san'.

'Choi Su-san' 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 'World Trip While Born' has come together. Yoo Se-yoon, who was a nominee for the male Choi U-su-sang (수상) award at the '2025 MBC Entertainment Awards', along with fellow nominees in the same category Jang Dong-min, Boom, and Yang Se-hyung, are joined by 'catfish' Heo Kyung-hwan as members.

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

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

'Choi Su-san' featured members climbing mountains of varying difficulty levels, from familiar Achasan to Yongmabong, Mangwusan, Daedunsan, the rugged Geumgangsan, and the Jirisan Baemudong course, showcasing different games each episode. At the mid-mountain points, chefs Kouji, Imokase, and patissier Hwang Ji-oh made surprise appearances, creating a unique scene where the members enjoyed a dream meal. Most importantly, in the variety world, the lineup of Yoo Se-yoon, Jang Dong-min, Boom, Yang Se-hyung, and Heo Kyung-hwan formed a 'caviar combination' that had never existed before, delivering Tikka-Taka chemistry that exceeded expectations.

'Choi Su-san' is a rare variety show with a format that breaks away from conventional methods, drawing even greater expectations for its extended episodes.

-How did you come up with the 'Choi Su-san' member combination during the planning process? Especially, Heo Kyung-hwan received many love calls from you since 'Radio Star'. In what way was he your type?

▶The members started as nominees for the '2025 MBC Entertainment Awards'. Ha-ha, who was one of the nominees, could not join 'Choi Su-san' because he was appearing on 'Running Man' in the same time slot. We searched for someone to fill the vacancy for a month and ultimately cast (Heo) Kyung-hwan. Kyung-hwan was of middle age among the five members, so we could be close and show sides not seen elsewhere. Boom has been very close to Se-hyung for a long time, hiking together. They were closer than I thought. Since the members were close and comfortable with each other, they enjoyed coming to the filming site. Kyung-hwan's comedy is exactly my taste. Even when called as a guest on 'Radio Star' in a hurry, he came well about four times, so he became someone I wanted to repay. Kyung-hwan is someone only the production team knows how grateful he is, and I have thought since five years ago that he must succeed. He is someone I like as if I were a fan.

-After filming together, what do you think are the strengths of each member: Yoo Se-yoon, Jang Dong-min, Boom, Yang Se-hyung, and Heo Kyung-hwan?

▶Yoo Se-yoon has been a very close friend since his time on 'Radio Star'. Knowing well what he does well and where he falls short, if we set up a stage suited for him, he performs better than anyone and becomes a 'ruffian who dances the knife dance well'. Se-yoon's greatest strength is that he is the trendiest among the members. Recently, he dances the Cortis dance during breaks. (Laughs) He seems to be smart and the most creative person. Jang Dong-min is like a CP. Since he is a top player in survival, he has a strong planner mindset and asks us many questions. We also ask him for ideas. He speaks plainly. On 'Radio Star', even if he gets criticized like Gura, he knows how to step out as a player; he is truly smart. Kyung-hwan is a person with no real flaws. He contacts us often, has good character, and is very diligent. That is why he must succeed. He has never refused or hesitated when asked to do something, and he never loses his original intention. Boom is a very kind person and always contacts us after filming. He watches the original broadcast and encourages us, saying, 'It's so fun.' He fulfills any request and offers many ideas; especially, he greets elderly people well in the mountains. Yang Se-hyung picks up trash even when there are no cameras and carries the writers' bags well. He is one of the celebrities with good character I have seen.

-In your view, what were the unexpected chemistry or scenes of 'Choi Su-san' that were more fun than expected?

▶Boom and Kyung-hwan had great chemistry. Boom had not done outdoor variety before, but surprisingly, he did well. The way they bickered was fun. In terms of scenes, many viewers enjoyed the lung capacity soccer game, where we also achieved the highest viewership ratings.

-Since filming takes place in the mountains, pre-reconnaissance and establishing a filming system must be more difficult.

▶After watching last year's awards ceremony, I wondered what we could do with these members, and it turned out to be made well faster than expected. From episodes 1 to 5, our focus was on playing games in the mountains, so we prioritized finding mountains where games could be played. We viewed several hundred mountains in Korea and personally visited twenty of them, also securing cooperation from local governments. The final mountain locations were visited three times each: twice for pre-reconnaissance and once for filming. The staff worked extremely hard moving equipment.

-Since the production process was so difficult, were there any production team members who dropped out midway?

▶Yes. One camera team dropped out, saying, 'We have filmed many times, but this is the first time it has been this difficult.' We re-coordinated well, and they were re-deployed. Among the eight writers, three quit, but one returned when we changed the format this time. Spring, autumn, and winter are fine, but summer filming is difficult due to the weather. During the rainy season in summer, we thought we should try other formats, and if the opportunity arises, we will always try to go to the mountains.

-There were also opinions about featuring different guests each week. Is Im Woo-il the sixth member and a semi-regular?

▶Im Woo-il is also as grateful to us as Kyung-hwan. When I was on 'Radio Star', Gura and Se-yoon recommended Woo-il often, and we hired him. It was hilarious. The YouTube 'In-gup-dong' (trending videos) also ranked number one, and he became a lightning star. There is a possibility he will appear in future episodes of 'Choi Su-san'.

-To be continued in Interview 3

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*This content was translated by AI.