The production team of MBC‘s I Live Alone finally bowed their heads over the controversy surrounding Jun Hyun Moo‘s spontaneous trip to Kazakhstan.
Earlier, I Live Alone aired on August 14th and 21st episodes showing Jun Hyun Moo deciding spontaneously at Incheon International Airport to travel to Almaty, Kazakhstan for a one-night, two-day holiday.
Questions arose about whether filming could occur without any prior preparation, considering overseas filming personnel and administrative procedures. Furthermore, news about filming cooperation from the Almaty City Tourism Authority and issues related to the rental car intensified the controversy.
On September 4th, the I Live Alone production team issued an official statement saying, “We sincerely apologize for the delayed detailed statement,” and disclosed the filming process of Jun Hyun Moo’s trip to Kazakhstan.
Although it is true that Jun Hyun Moo decided the travel destination on the day, the production team explained that they had anticipated the possibility of a trip to Kazakhstan and had already issued staff airline tickets and requested local filming cooperation.
According to the production team, the episode was planned to follow Jun Hyun Moo’s usual lifestyle of enjoying spontaneous trips. The term “spontaneous trip” as expressed in the broadcast meant that Jun Hyun Moo decided the destination and booked the ticket on the day without prior arrangements.
However, the production team admitted there were preparations made in case of overseas filming. They reviewed nearby countries reachable within a limited timeframe, and considering Jun Hyun Moo’s usual interests and the available flight options at the time, they judged Kazakhstan as a highly likely choice.
Therefore, if Jun Hyun Moo decided to go to Kazakhstan, staff airline tickets were pre-booked and local filming cooperation was requested to enable immediate filming. They explained that if Jun Hyun Moo had chosen a different destination or failed to obtain a Kazakhstan ticket, they planned to cancel the staff tickets.
They emphasized that Jun Hyun Moo’s ticket was not booked in advance. The production team stated, “Jun Hyun Moo checked available flights on the day at the airport and purchased his Kazakhstan ticket directly on-site.”
Still, they admitted, “We did not fully consider that the expression ‘spontaneous trip’ might lead viewers to believe that all aspects of the trip and filming proceeded without any prior preparation.”
They also addressed the controversy over support from the Almaty City Tourism Authority. Previously, on the 25th of last month, the production team stated there was no filming support or sponsorship related to the Kazakhstan trip. However, as news emerged that they did receive filming cooperation from the Almaty City Tourism Authority, the sincerity of this explanation was questioned.
In response, the production team said, “We received administrative procedures necessary for overseas filming and on-site filming cooperation from the Almaty City Tourism Authority,” clarifying that their earlier statement of no “support” meant no financial sponsorship or production cost assistance. They apologized for causing confusion due to insufficient explanation.
They also acknowledged failing to properly check local regulations during the rental car process. Jun Hyun Moo personally reserved the vehicle at Incheon Airport, then upon arrival, submitted his passport and a copy of his international driver’s license to receive the car.
However, after the broadcast, concerns about insufficient documentation were raised. Upon inquiry through the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kazakhstan, the production team learned that renting a car locally required notarization procedures from the Kazakhstan embassy in Korea, which they only realized belatedly.
The production team stated, “This was a failure to carefully verify local laws.”
Regarding the late detailed explanation following the controversy, they explained it was to preserve the realism and immersion of the reality program. They said, “We worried that sharing detailed production processes with viewers might damage the program’s essential realism and disrupt immersion, which delayed a swift response.”
They continued, “We focused too much on not compromising the program’s realism and immersion, resulting in insufficient explanation about the actual filming process. Consequently, viewers were misled and confused, and we failed to respond promptly and clearly to the subsequent questions, for which we apologize.”
Finally, the production team expressed, “We sincerely apologize for the shortcomings in our judgment and response. We will take criticism and reproach seriously, return to our initial commitment, thoroughly re-examine our production methods and attitudes, and create broadcasts with greater care.“