'Happy Together - I'm glad I'm not alone' producer Kwon Jae-oh expressed gratitude for viewers' reactions.
KBS2 'Happy Together - I'm glad I'm not alone' (planned by Park Minjung, directed by Kwon Jae-oh, writer Rhee Minjung, hereafter 'Happy Together') is a storytelling music audition in which Yu Jae-seok, who reads people, Jang Hang-jun, who captures stories, and Yoon Jongshin, who listens to music, pay attention to the narratives and harmonies of various 'life teammates' and unfold them.
Kwon Jae-oh, who was recognized as a variety show that spans generations after winning the '2026 PD of the Month' award, said in a Q&A, "I honestly felt a great weight and burden taking on a legendary program. 'Happy Together' may be 'Tray karaoke' to someone, 'Nice to see you, friend' to someone, and 'sauna talk' to someone else. The commonality of all these aspects was 'warmth' and 'togetherness.' I thought that if we could convey enjoyable and warm energy together, we could preserve the essence of 'Happy Together.'"
Kwon Jae-oh, who cited an audition as the difference from the existing 'Happy Together,' said, "I think the identity of our program is the 'power to open hearts.'" and added, "I believed in the explosiveness that happens when sincere stories combine with songs. Sung Si Kyung, who joined as a special MC, gradually had a smile spread across his face listening to the teams' stories, and the recording ended with 'welcome to our program,' so it seems he gave his heart to the sincerity in the songs rather than exact pitch or rhythm. Maybe it's good to have at least one warm, touching battle program."
About MCs Yu Jae-seok, Jang Hang-jun and Yoon Jongshin, he said, "Yu Jae-seok valued an intuitive pull that draws in the listener. Teams that caught his eye inevitably received a good response even after the broadcast. Yu Jae-seok regrets not being able to put more participants on the final stage," and added, "Jang Hang-jun and Yoon Jongshin, true to their reputation as close friends, bickered over selecting passing teams. The reason they were able to give and receive emotion across all ages was because of their sincerity."
He also expressed gratitude for the five special MCs — Lee Hyori, Kang Minkyung, Kwon Yuri, Sung Si Kyung and Ahn Eun-jin. Kwon Jae-oh said, "I wanted special MCs who, unlike the soft-rimmed trio (Yu Jae-seok, Jang Hang-jun, Yoon Jongshin), could make objective and coolheaded evaluations. For the first episode, there was no candidate other than the original homestage queen Lee Hyori. She willingly came to support the new start of 'Happy Together.' Kang Minkyung was genuinely nervous and cheered for each team's stage. Kwon Yuri was an MC who enjoyed the show in a relaxed atmosphere, so much so that the soft-rimmed trio called her a beloved younger sibling. Sung Si Kyung seeped into the participating teams during the recording. Ahn Eun-jin watched every episode from the first episode of 'Happy Together.' As a devoted viewer, she was happy to see the teams' stages in person and listened to their stories more attentively than anyone else."
Kwon said the 'Flowerful youth choir,' with an average age of 80, was the most memorable participant, saying, "I was deeply moved to see elderly people who had been spending listless days alone in the countryside regain their will to live and become happy by singing together," and he picked 'Someday' (Lado, Wontak, Jung Se-young) as the most rewarding team, saying, "They had hit songs everyone knows, but in 17 years since their debut they had never once sung on a terrestrial stage. Seeing them on the long-awaited stage and feeling moved, everyone present cried together. It's just regrettable that the broadcast sound system couldn't fully capture the emotion on site."
Kwon Jae-oh said, "A comment that stuck with me was, 'It feels like my tired heart is comforted.' In fact, producing programs so far, I haven't often encountered such reactions. Therefore, such comments feel unfamiliar at times, and on the other hand I am grateful that we could convey comfort to someone."
[OSEN]