“They Said It Was an Impromptu Trip” — I Live Alone’s Jun Hyun-moo Kazakhstan Trip Sparks Manipulation Controversy, Production Team Officially Apologizes

[Financial News] The production team of MBC TV’s flagship entertainment program I Live Alone has finally apologized over the controversy surrounding Jun Hyun-moo’s “fake spontaneous trip” to Kazakhstan and allegations that local laws were violated. The “same-day spontaneous trip” portrayed on the show was revealed to have been largely planned in advance, making it difficult for the program to avoid criticism that it misled viewers.
On the 4th, the I Live Alone production team posted an official apology on its website regarding a series of controversies related to filming in Kazakhstan.
The central controversy concerns the alleged manipulation of the trip’s spontaneity. The program previously showed Jun Hyun-moo deciding at the airport that day to travel to Kazakhstan and then departing. However, the production team admitted, “We had reviewed flights and filming conditions in advance in preparation for the possibility of filming overseas,” adding, “To respond immediately if Kazakhstan was selected as the destination, we had already issued plane tickets for the staff and requested cooperation for local filming.” It added, however, “It is true that Mr. Jun Hyun-moo purchased his ticket at the airport on the day of departure.”
The production team also addressed the controversy over whether it had received sponsorship from local authorities. It initially denied allegations that the City of Almaty had supported the filming, but the controversy intensified after the city confirmed that it had provided assistance. The production team explained, “We received filming cooperation from the Almaty City Tourism Department for administrative procedures and on-site operations.” It added, “When we previously said there had been ‘no support,’ we meant that there had been no financial sponsorship or production-cost assistance. However, that wording could have been misunderstood as meaning there had been no administrative support, so we are correcting the record.”
Concerns over safety and alleged violations of local law were also confirmed to have been valid. The broadcast showed Jun Hyun-moo renting and driving a local car using only an international driving permit and his passport. However, according to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kazakhstan, a notarization procedure through the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Korea is required to rent a vehicle legally in Kazakhstan.
The production team acknowledged its mistake, saying, “After the broadcast, we learned through the embassy that the required documents were incomplete and belatedly became aware that notarization was necessary.” It added, “This was an obvious failure on the part of the production team, which did not carefully verify local laws and regulations.”
Finally, the production team stated, “We caused misunderstanding and confusion among viewers because we did not sufficiently explain the actual filming process.” It added, “We sincerely apologize for our inadequate judgment and response.”


[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter