‘I Live Alone’ Production Team Apologizes: “We Issued Airline Tickets in Advance... Our Explanation and Response Were Insufficient”

[Financial News] The idea of an impromptu trip was refreshing. However, the lack of explanation about the filming process and the delayed response cost the program viewers’ trust. Some degree of advance preparation is, in fact, necessary for television production. What matters is the willingness to explain the process honestly and promptly when questions arise.
On the 4th, the production team of Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)’s ‘I Live Alone’ issued an official statement and apologized over allegations that Jun Hyun-moo’s trip to Kazakhstan had been staged as an ‘impromptu trip.’
The production team explained that Jun Hyun-moo decided to go to Kazakhstan on the day of departure. However, because they judged that he was highly likely to choose the destination, they issued staff airline tickets in advance and requested local filming cooperation.
The team said it did not receive financial support from the Almaty City Tourism Department, but did receive administrative and filming cooperation. It acknowledged that its earlier statement that there had been “no support” referred only to the absence of financial sponsorship or production funding, and admitted that the explanation had been insufficient. The team also said it was at fault for failing to confirm in advance the notarization procedure required to rent a vehicle.
The production team apologized for causing confusion by emphasizing the ‘impromptu trip’ without sufficiently explaining the preparations made in advance. It also apologized for the delay in issuing its statement and responding to the controversy.
The team said, “‘I Live Alone’ has always regarded conveying the cast members’ daily lives as sincerely as possible as its most important value. Nevertheless, in this broadcast, we became too focused on preserving the program’s sense of realism and immersion and failed to sufficiently explain the actual filming process. We will return to our original principles, reassess our production methods and attitude from the ground up, and work to create the program with greater care.”■ The following is the full statement.Hello. We are the production team of MBC’s ‘I Live Alone.’
First, we sincerely apologize for the delay in providing a detailed statement. Because of the nature of a reality program, we were concerned that sharing the detailed production process with viewers might inadvertently undermine the realism at the heart of the program and interfere with their immersion. As a result, we were unable to issue a prompt statement. We apologize once again.
The previous episode featuring Jun Hyun-moo’s trip to Kazakhstan was produced by having the production team accompany him in his everyday life, as he usually enjoys spontaneous travel.
The ‘impromptu trip’ described on the program referred to Jun Hyun-moo deciding on his destination and setting off on the day of travel without choosing the destination or purchasing an airline ticket in advance.
For the broadcast, the production team reviewed flights and filming conditions in advance in preparation for the possibility of filming overseas. We considered several options, focusing on nearby countries that could be reached within the limited time available. Taking into account destinations Jun Hyun-moo had shown interest in and the flight situation at the time, we judged that he was highly likely to choose Kazakhstan.
Accordingly, so that we could begin filming immediately if Kazakhstan was chosen, we issued staff airline tickets in advance and requested local filming cooperation. If Jun Hyun-moo chose another destination that day or was unable to obtain a ticket to Kazakhstan, we planned to cancel the staff tickets and naturally capture any unexpected situations arising in the process as part of the trip.
After checking which flights were available from the airport that day, Jun Hyun-moo personally purchased a ticket to Kazakhstan at the airport. However, while emphasizing the term ‘impromptu trip’ on the program, we failed to sufficiently consider that viewers might understand this to mean that every aspect of the trip and filming had proceeded without any advance preparation.
We would also like to clarify the support provided by the Almaty City Tourism Department. The production team received administrative assistance for overseas filming and cooperation with on-site filming from the Almaty City Tourism Department. Our earlier statement that there had been ‘no support’ meant that there had been no financial sponsorship or production funding. We are providing this additional explanation because the wording could have been understood to mean that there had been no local administrative or filming cooperation whatsoever. We apologize for causing confusion by failing to provide a sufficient explanation.
We would also like to provide further clarification regarding the rental car. Jun Hyun-moo made the reservation himself at Incheon International Airport. After arriving locally, he submitted a copy of his passport and international driving permit as instructed by the rental company and received the vehicle. However, after the broadcast, we learned of concerns about missing documents and confirmed through the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Republic of Kazakhstan that notarization by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Korea is required to rent a vehicle in Kazakhstan. It was the production team’s fault for failing to carefully verify local regulations.
‘I Live Alone’ has always regarded conveying the cast members’ daily lives as sincerely as possible as its most important value. Nevertheless, in this broadcast, we became too focused on preserving the program’s realism and immersion and failed to sufficiently explain the actual filming process. As a result, we caused misunderstanding and confusion among viewers and failed to provide a prompt and clear explanation of the questions that were subsequently raised. We sincerely apologize for the production team’s inadequate judgment and response.
We will take the criticism and reprimands you have sent us seriously. We will return to our original principles, reassess our production methods and attitude from the ground up, and work to create the program with greater care.
Thank you.
[email protected] Shin Jin-a Reporter