Is the Kazakh government lying? 'I Live Alone' Jeon Hyun-moo gives a strong thumbs-up to unedited footage [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Did the Kazakh government make false announcements? The production team of MBC's 'I Live Alone' and broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo directly confronted allegations that their "spontaneous trip" to Almaty, Kazakhstan, was staged.

Previously, the production team of 'I Live Alone' (hereinafter referred to as 'I Live Alone') aired a two-part episode titled "Jeon Hyun-moo's Impulsive Overseas Travel Challenge" on the 14th and 21st. The episode featured MC Jeon Hyun-moo visiting an airport at random, selecting a destination spontaneously, and enjoying a trip in Almaty, Kazakhstan, for just 29 hours.

On the broadcast, not only was the travel destination chosen on the spot, but also flight ticket purchases and car rentals were all arranged immediately. However, the process of renting a local car turned out to be surprisingly easy, raising suspicions among netizens that it might have been pre-arranged. The controversy intensified when the Kazakh government officially announced that "the Almaty Tourism Bureau provided support for Jeon Hyun-moo's trip," fueling further allegations of fabrication.

On the 21st (local time), the Kazakh government stated on its official website: "Almaty appeared in the latest episode of MBC, a popular Korean public broadcasting program called 'I Live Alone'." It added that the episode was produced with support from the Almati City Tourism Bureau and the 'Almaty Tourism Bureau,' which handles tourism, promotion, and marketing for Almaty. The government also highlighted that this episode about traveling in Kazakhstan aired on August 14 (Korean time). The production team of 'I Live Alone' also released photos confirming Jeon Hyun-moo's filming.

Furthermore, the Kazakh side emphasized the promotional impact by stating: "Jeon Hyun-moo, the main protagonist of the broadcast and a famous Korean entertainer, personally experienced Almaty's major attractions and cultural charms, vividly conveying them to viewers across Korea." This content was also published in Akzhol, one of Kazakhstan's leading daily newspapers.

As suspicions grew stronger, the production team of 'I Live Alone' issued an official statement on the 25th: "We confirm that we received no filming support or sponsorship related to this trip to Kazakhstan."

Regarding questions about car rentals, they explained: "Jeon Hyun-moo's trip to Kazakhstan was exactly as shown on the broadcast. He departed for Kazakhstan and rented a vehicle from a local car rental company at the airport just before departure by submitting an international driver's license and passport as required." However, the production team added: "After the broadcast aired, we received inquiries about how to rent cars locally. Upon confirming with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kazakhstan, we learned late that additional notarization procedures were necessary. The embassy informed us that many citizens have suffered due to such issues and promised to take measures to prevent future harm to Koreans visiting the country."

Jeon Hyun-moo also expressed his innocence by liking a post clarifying the allegations of a staged spontaneous trip. On the 25th, A, a close friend and representative of a foreign language academy where Jeon Hyun-moo studies, posted an unedited version of the behind-the-scenes footage from 'I Live Alone's' Kazakhstan trip on social media. Since A accompanied Jeon Hyun-moo on this trip, he left a clarification post on behalf of Jeon Hyun-moo, who was at the center of the controversy.

A wrote: "The beginning of 'Jeon Hyun-moo's Determination!' These are the actual videos that served as the inspiration for the Kazakhstan episode of 'I Live Alone.' Going to the airport and asking the airline desk for a ticket that fits the schedule. (Cannot be done in the car; must be done at the airport for thrill. If it fails, so be it.) However, the desk said no. Just about to give up, but we started searching for tickets online while eating at the airport. Found a perfect travel destination on an airline ticket booking site. Fortunately, there was no luggage. In fact, there were no two seats available together, so we boarded different flights departing at different times. Arrived one hour earlier after a four-hour flight! Jeon Hyun-moo arrived one hour later. Ate dinner in the field next to the hotel, slept for four hours, and immediately started exploring. Returned to Korea 24 hours later." He provided detailed accounts of what happened at the time.

The video also showed Jeon Hyun-moo and his team rushing around the airport to secure flight tickets on-site. While looking at a display board showing departure times and flight numbers, Jeon Hyun-moo asked, "Where should we go now?" and replied, "It's 2 o'clock now. We need to catch a flight after 3 o'clock."

Additionally, scenes were captured where Jeon Hyun-moo personally visited an airline counter to inquire with staff. With a nervous expression, biting his finger, he asked: "Since it's 2 o'clock now, what is the earliest flight I can take?" and "Anywhere that allows me to return by Monday at 3 o'clock." Soon after, he was told, "All seats are full." Jeon Hyun-moo responded, "Are all flights today fully booked? Understood," before turning away. According to the video, it was ultimately emphasized that Jeon Hyun-moo secured flight tickets using a smartphone app, reinforcing the stance that the allegations of fabrication were baseless.

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*This content was translated by AI.