(Continued from exclusive interview②) "Korea really is a 'good country'...I want to give people pride that goes beyond 'gukppong'." The show that gave pride to the production team as well, 'Welcome, First Time in Korea?,' is entering a reorganization after finishing its reboot season. I spoke with PD Lee Sun-ok, who led those three years and dreams of season 4.
MBC every1 variety show 'Welcome, First Time in Korea? (abbreviated Welcome)' entered a break after episode 419, which aired on the 9th. The program, which follows foreign friends who came to Korea from various countries, was loved as a "new-concept domestic travel" reality that offers the simple pleasure of watching travel as it is and the fun that comes from cultural differences.
Since its first broadcast in 2017, through the COVID-19 pandemic and returning as a reboot season in 2022, each season welcomed the birth of "foreigners of Korea" crossing continents and races. In addition, from MBC variety show Adventure By Accident series came Kian84's South American friend Porpi, Nepali younger brother Rai and Tamang. PD Lee Sun-ok calmly said, "The program that we said 'let's do it for just one year' somehow passed three years."
She said calmly, "I really don't know how the time passed. Over the three years I rejoiced with, was moved by, was surprised by, and shared every moment with the foreign friends who came to Korea. There were certainly hard times, but looking back those times don't stand out much. It feels like returning home after finishing a long journey."
PD Lee Sun-ok emphasized that the driving force that allowed the 'Welcome' reboot season to continue for nearly three years beyond the original plan was "the power of K-culture." She said, "When the reboot started it wasn't at this level," and added, "I could physically feel that foreign friends' interest in Korea grew stronger year by year. It is truly something to be thankful for," expressing surprise.
Who were the memorable guests among those three years? She expressed surprise at British singer Sam Ryder, Korea Professional Baseball Hanwha Eagles' Ryan Weiss, and Porpi, Rai and Tamang from the Adventure By Accident series, and said, "The most memorable guests were the New Zealand four brothers and the friends from Fiji." "The New Zealand brothers were so positive and bright that being with them made me feel good," she said. She even still calls them 'daddy.' In addition, PD Lee Sun-ok recalled the romance of Rasmus and William's bike trip and laughed, "The filming staff really struggled. There is indeed a big difference between travel and work."
Above all, PD Lee Sun-ok emphasized, "What impressed the foreign friends the most was that they are moved by small things and know how to be grateful." She said, "In fact, when we actually go to the places they chose to visit, many are different from what we imagined. There are good places, but there are also places that are not as good as we thought. As Koreans, we have regrets like, 'Ah...it would have been better if this place were a bit like this,' but for them that isn't that important. It was very impressive and taught us a lot that they understand, accept and are moved by the culture itself."
She stressed, "Korea is a country with a long history, and all foreigners admire that it is being preserved and protected so brilliantly. Their mindset of trying to understand that history more deeply than Koreans and accepting it gives us a great resonance every time we go out to film."
Moreover, PD Lee Sun-ok said about the program, "Most viewers often call 'Welcome' a 'gukppong' program, don't they? I hope it will be remembered as a program that becomes pride or self-respect for Korea beyond that 'gukppong.'" She emphasized, "There are many things we take for granted about the parts that foreign friends admire and enjoy when they come to Korea. When you go abroad and talk with foreign friends, you really feel that Korea is a 'good country' a lot. We will work harder so that viewers watching that feeling on TV can feel it well."
The longtime 'Welcome' fixtures—comedian Kim Jun-hyun, model Lee Hyun-yi, and Albert Mondi, who moves between 'arranger' and 'foreigner of Korea'—along with the three MCs who fill each other's lacking chemistry, are already preparing season 4. PD Lee Sun-ok vowed, "We will return as soon as possible. I can't tell you an exact date right now, but we will definitely be back in the first half of next year. The production team may have some changes, but we will prepare a lot so we can meet your expectations and come back."
Finally she added, "Thank you so much for all the love you've shown. Please don't forget and wait for the next 'Welcome.' The travel door will always be open every Thursday night."
[Photo] Provided by MBC every1.
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