I Live Alone officially apologized over the controversy surrounding Jun Hyun-moo's trip to Almaty, Kazakhstan, and aired the scheduled main broadcast. However, the broadcast made no separate mention of the recent controversy.
On the 4th MBC entertainment program I Live Alone aired the daily lives of Kim Shin-young and SHINee's Minho.
That day Kim Shin-young revealed the process of attempting to bring a reform piece she had prepared for a long time to an overseas select shop pop-up store. Minho showed a calmer daily life with bonsai, a hobby he recently became absorbed in. Especially, Minho, who usually enjoys active hobbies such as running, swimming and cycling, showed a different side that day as he visited a bonsai garden filled with numerous bonsai.
The usual daily lives of the "rainbow members" continued, but there was another focus regarding that day's broadcast. It was because of the controversy over Jun Hyun-moo's Almaty "impromptu trip," which recently shook the program. Previously, I Live Alone portrayed Jun Hyun-moo's decision at the airport to set a destination and then leave for Almaty, Kazakhstan, as an "impromptu trip." However, after the broadcast, questions arose one after another about the production team's overseas filming preparations, whether the Almaty city tourism board cooperated with filming, and the local rental car usage procedures.
As the controversy continued, the production team issued a lengthy official statement and apologized ahead of that day's broadcast. They emphasized the expression "impromptu trip" and also acknowledged that their explanation of the actual filming preparations was insufficient. The production team eventually said, "we will return to our original intentions and rethink our production methods and attitudes from the starting point." The production team thus acknowledged responsibility.
That same night after the official apology, I Live Alone aired the scheduled program normally. However, the broadcast made no separate mention of the Almaty trip controversy or the production team's apology announced that day.
Reactions are divided. Some say there was no need to mention the controversy again in the main broadcast showing separate cast members' daily lives, since the production team had already provided a detailed explanation and apology in an official statement. On the other hand, because I Live Alone has emphasized showing cast members' real daily lives as a key value of the program, some voices say the program should have directly explained the controversy to viewers in the main broadcast because it is directly tied to the program's credibility.
In particular, this controversy went beyond simple online argument and resulted in a broadcast review complaint about the Almaty trip episode, and it is scheduled to proceed to the official review process of the Korea Communications Standards Commission. With daily attention focused on the issue, it remains to be seen whether the controversy will subside after this apology.
[Photo] I Live Alone broadcast screen, SNS
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