'Contract Marriage' Director Nam Kyu-hong: "The Essence of Marriage Is 'Love' and 'Food'" — Full Interview [Text]

*This content was translated by AI.

Director Nam Kyu-hong confidently introduced the new variety show 'Contract Marriage,' which places the theme of 'marriage' at the forefront.

KBS Joy‧MBC Every1's 'Contract Marriage' is a marriage simulation observation reality program where men and women who earnestly desire marriage experience the spousal relationship in advance through a contract, confirming the meaning of marriage and realistic partnership during the process.

Produced with Director Nam Kyu-hong, known as the 'hit-making machine for matchmaking variety shows,' alongside PD Na Sang-won and PD Baek Jeong-hoon who are currently directing 'I Am Solo (SOLO),' the program promises to birth a fresh paradigm in variety entertainment.

Director Nam Kyu-hong, who has built one pillar of South Korea's matchmaking variety shows through series like 'Match' and 'I Am Solo,' now goes beyond 'dating' to directly explore the essence of 'marriage' through 'Contract Marriage.' The steps taken by Director Nam Kyu-hong, who is embarking on a new challenge as the 'village chief of the marriage village' after being the 'village chief of the love village,' are drawing intense interest.

Among these developments, the production team of 'Contract Marriage' drew attention by releasing the full text of an exclusive interview with Director Nam Kyu-hong ahead of the show's premiere on the night of the 28th at 10:30 p.m.

The production team stated, "'Contract Marriage' goes one step further in the process of finding a partner, depicting how two people who meet for the first time become spouses and experience realistic married life." They added, "Please look forward to the new stories that Director Nam Kyu-hong will share."

1. You are presenting a new program focused on 'marriage' rather than 'dating.' Was there a special catalyst that led you to decide, "It's time to talk about marriage"?

'Match' and 'I Am SOLO' are both programs that capture how the beginning of love starts. I thought it would be good to eventually create a program that captures the essence of marriage, which is the completion of love. While there are various ways to show this, I initially considered: what if two people who don't even know each other's faces or information form a contractual relationship through the production team's arrangement and start with marriage?

2. As a director who has created dating reality shows for a long time, what do you consider the most important element of reality variety entertainment?

It is simply about capturing the reality of our society and the people living in it as accurately as possible. I believe we must not distort or deceive that reality.

3. You have earned the nickname 'Village Chief of Love Village' after observing various meetings and relationships between people. Are you someone who intuitively senses the level of mutual attraction when two people meet for the first time?

I do not think too much about human encounters; it is not my area of expertise. There are too many variables in how people form relationships, and that is a realm even God cannot control. However, I do believe that when good people meet good people, good connections will inevitably be made.

4. Unlike 'I Am SOLO,' 'Contract Marriage' focuses on the process of actually living together after selection. What do you consider the key difference between the two programs and the unique charm of 'Contract Marriage'?

While romance and fantasy may intervene in the search for a partner, married life unfolds with reality and actuality. If 'I Am SOLO' is about finding a partner through meetings, dates, and selection, 'Contract Marriage' begins with married life and then decides whether to marry that person. Because it is more intuitive, both the results and the process differ. The unique charm of 'Contract Marriage' lies in its higher focus on the individuals involved.

5. What are the specific clauses unique to 'Contract Marriage' that will appear in the show? If you were a participant yourself, what one clause would you insist on including in the contract?

Private contracts can vary depending on each participant at any given time. However, generally speaking, there are many things two people must decide upon, such as sincere vows regarding married life, promises not to steal another's heart, and realistic economic issues. Personally, the clause I would most like to uphold is: "Spouses must have a conversation before the day ends." A quiet family or a couple without communication breeds tragedy.

6. What essence of marriage do you want to convey through 'Contract Marriage,' and what was the most difficult aspect in implementing this on broadcast?

I view the essence of marriage as 'love' and 'food.' However, due to the limitations of broadcasting, it is easy for these elements to be lacking in the daily lives of contract-married couples. Realizing this is our challenge. There is still a long way to go to see how much of the couple's reality we can show. As an infant program just starting out, we are making efforts to gradually showcase various aspects of married life.

7. The MC lineup of Ahn Jung-hwan, Girls' Generation's Hyoyeon, and fromis_9's Lee Chae-young is unexpected. What are your impressions after observing the chemistry among the three?

For married Ahn Jung-hwan, we expected honest candor as someone with experience; for Hyoyeon, who stands in the same position as the participants, we anticipated a comeback spirit and ambition; and for MZ generation Lee Chae-young, we expected a different sensibility and perspective. As expected, all three exceeded our expectations by over 100%.

8. As a director, with the first broadcast of 'Contract Marriage' approaching, what one message would you like to convey to viewers?

Unmarried viewers can watch it as if looking at their mothers and fathers, or envisioning their own future selves. For married viewers, empathizing with others' marital lives while watching would be an added bonus. Of course, since this is a broadcast program, there are limits to capturing the reality of marriage. However, we will not exaggerate according to our production methods but will quietly and calmly create it as is.

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*This content was translated by AI.