Kim Tae-ho PD shared his thoughts on reuniting with Yu Jae-seok.
Kim Tae-ho PD mentioned the reunion with Yu Jae-seok, who led the popularity of Infinite Challenge, in an interview for the MBC entertainment program "Manitto Club" held at TEO Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 20th.
Manitto Club, which premiered on the 1st, is an undercover gift-giving variety show about people who, when they receive one, know how to divide it into two. The first cast included broadcaster Ro Hong-chul, Choo Sung Hoon, Dex, Lee Suji, and Blackpink member Jennie, drawing attention.
In the interview, Kim Tae-ho PD also mentioned his signature work, MBC's Infinite Challenge. Many fans still watch Infinite Challenge on various platforms, expressing longing and affection. Kim Tae-ho PD was aware of this.
Kim Tae-ho PD said, "The program is simply called 'Infinite Challenge,' but personally it was a program I worked on from age 31 to 45. It was a program I poured 15 years of my life into, so interest and affection cannot help but be special. I feel pleased and happy. There are still many people who watch it," expressing gratitude for the unwavering affection and interest.
He went on to say, "They say Manitto Club feels like Infinite Challenge, but Infinite Challenge around years 14 to 15 was content that tried everything possible in entertainment. I recently thought it would be difficult to stray from that." He added, "Sometimes I think how many items in content currently broadcast in Korea are things Infinite Challenge did not do. Others are doing them too, and I recently thought about taking those as seeds and adapting them into developed directions suitable for these times," candidly stating his position.
Regarding last year's 20th anniversary, Kim Tae-ho PD said, "I directed Infinite Challenge, but ultimately the owner is MBC, so decisions and processes have to be prioritized. The most important thing is that the cast members' consent would be necessary. I also had several meetings about the 20th anniversary," and he thanked fans who consume pop-up stores and goods. Kim Tae-ho PD also said he feels affection for Infinite Challenge because of this.
Kim Tae-ho PD said, "I often hear, 'It feels too much like Infinite Challenge.' That made me confused about 'what aspect of me do people like?' When I categorize Infinite Challenge, there are about 20 categories. Because we did all of them well, people seem to like me in many different ways." He added, "Once I felt that people's favorite directions were different, I realized I hadn't excelled in a single genre but rather ran a restaurant like kimbap heaven that had every menu. These days I'm thinking about which menu to explore more deeply. Having done various genres so far, it's a process to move toward fine dining one by one."
As Kim Tae-ho PD's representative work is Infinite Challenge, many fans are waiting for a reunion with Yu Jae-seok. On this, Kim Tae-ho PD said, "If there is a good proposal, it would be great to do it together anytime, but my goal for this year is to raise the capabilities of younger juniors a lot and then create time to do what I wanted to do. Once I finish worrying about how to settle in, if there is a good plan, perhaps an opportunity will arise," asking for anticipation.
[Photo] Provided by MBC.
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