MBC‘s I Live Alone has made an announcement regarding the so-called “fabricated broadcast” suspicions surrounding Jun Hyun Moo‘s trip to Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Earlier, episodes aired on August 14th and 21st featured Jun Hyun Moo’s spontaneous 29-hour solo trip to Kazakhstan.
Jun Hyun Moo, taking advantage of a short one-night, two-day break, headed to Incheon International Airport with a backpack. After considering candidates like Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Hangzhou and Qingdao in China, he finally selected Almaty, Kazakhstan—where he’d never been—based on flight duration and return options. He then bought a ticket on the spot, found accommodation and rented a car to continue his trip.
However, after the broadcast, some viewers raised doubts about whether, given the nature of overseas shooting involving not just the cast but multiple production staff, it is realistic to decide the destination spontaneously at the airport.
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There were also criticisms about the relatively quick rental car scene after arriving in Almaty, highlighting that using a Korean driver’s license locally requires separate translation and notarization procedures.
On August 25th, the I Live Alone production team released an official statement saying, “Jun Hyun Moo’s trip to Kazakhstan was exactly as shown in the broadcast. Just before departure at the airport, he submitted an international driver’s license and passport as required by the local rental car agency and rented the vehicle.”
They added, “After the broadcast, there were inquiries about how to use local rental cars. Upon confirming with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kazakhstan, we belatedly learned that a separate notarization procedure is necessary.”
They continued, “The embassy informed us that many Korean nationals suffer from such issues locally and said they would reissue guidance to prevent further hardship for visitors. Going forward, the I Live Alone production team will produce broadcasts with greater care.”
Regarding the core controversy over pre-planning and sponsorship suspicions, they clearly denied the claims. The production team emphasized, “There was no support or sponsorship related to filming for this Kazakhstan trip.”
Meanwhile, industry consensus holds that during overseas filming, it is inevitable for the production crew to handle practical matters necessary for shooting after the cast chooses the travel destination. Some believe it is unreasonable to link this production process itself to suggest the destination choice was prearranged.
Especially since the production team clearly denied any support or sponsorship, the prevailing view is that based on current confirmed information, it is difficult to conclude the premise of the broadcast as an “impromptu trip” was fabricated.