"I Live Alone" host Jun Hyun-moo's impromptu trip to Kazakhstan has sparked heated debate, and with testimonies from those around him emerging, the manipulation controversy has entered a new phase.
This controversy began with the broadcasts on the 14th and 21st. Jun Hyun-moo, who headed to the airport on a whim to make the most of a 2 Days & 1 Night break amid a busy schedule, decided his destination on the spot, issued a plane ticket, and even booked a rental car and accommodation. However, questions were raised about the impromptu travel concept after the broadcast.
In response, I Live Alone said, "Jun Hyun-moo's trip to Kazakhstan was exactly as shown on the broadcast: immediately before departing for Kazakhstan at the airport, he submitted an international driver's license and passport required by the local rental car company and rented the vehicle," and added, "There was no filming support or sponsorship related to this Kazakhstan trip."
However, despite I Live Alone's statement, the Almaty city government of Kazakhstan said on its official website that "(the filming of I Live Alone) was conducted with the support of the Almaty city tourism bureau," which intensified the controversy. With conflicting statements from I Live Alone and the Almaty side, the controversy turned into a battle over the truth.
Among them, Shim Hyung-joon, the producer who worked with Jun Hyun-moo on season 1 of Moo No Plan, posted on his personal channel, "A few years ago, I went down to Namhae with Hyun-moo without any particular plan. We left on a whim, stopped by Jindo, and then ended up going to Song Gain's village. We were lucky enough to meet Song Gain's father as well. Nothing was decided from the start, but because there was no plan, unexpected things happened, and the trip was more fun," and added, "Hyun-moo naturally likes traveling like this—he sets off first. Sometimes it's domestic, sometimes it's abroad," recounting Jun Hyun-moo's travel tendencies and past anecdotes.
In particular, producer Shim introduced an anecdote about leaving for Fukuoka, Japan, with Jun Hyun-moo on a whim and said, "Hyun-moo's trips were always like this. He departs without a plan, and that brings unexpected events. Sometimes they were put in awkward situations when they couldn't find accommodation, but he would turn even those experiences into part of the trip. There seems to be a lot of talk about the Kazakhstan trip, but to me it is not a particularly unfamiliar appearance."
Jun Hyun-moo, who appears on many regular programs, has previously said he relieves stress and heals through impromptu trips on his days off. The Kazakhstan trip was similarly carried out as part of that, but because it was portrayed differently from reality in that he was not traveling alone but with staff and in the process of renting a car, it became engulfed in a "manipulation" controversy.
When I Live Alone released its position and Jun Hyun-moo's closest associates who know his tendencies stepped forward, the controversy entered a new phase.
[OSEN]