Travel variety show 'This Is Hyunmo Road' appeared to be mindful of recent controversies surrounding broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo's fabricated impromptu travel on 'I Live Alone'.
The the 27th broadcast of MBN variety program 'This Is Hyunmo Road' (hereinafter 'Hyunmo Road') featured Jeon Hyun-moo and Lee Jun visiting Da Nang.
On that day, the two visited Bac My An Market, a local market in Da Nang where no Koreans were present. Jeon Hyun-moo expressed admiration while eating Vietnamese mini pancakes (banh can), savory crepes (banh xeo), and mixed rice noodles (mi quang), then enjoyed avocado ice cream popular among local MZ generations during their trip.
The two decided to visit a local massage shop. Jeon Hyun-moo declared, "We won't go to any place with a Hangul sign that says 'massage'," and searched around with Lee Jun.
However, many signs in Korean were found throughout Da Nang's city center to accommodate Korean tourists. The two barely managed to find a sign written only in English, but upon entering, an employee greeted them with "Annyeonghaseyo," and Korean tourists were receiving massages inside.
While Jeon Hyun-moo and Lee Jun hesitated, staff brought welcome drinks, and the atmosphere turned into one where they would sit down.
Jeon Hyun-moo then said, "We should accept it for now," and firmly stated, "We will not film here. We must go to places without Koreans, so this doesn't meet our criteria and we'll stop."
At that moment, the production team turned off the camera and transmitted only audio. Through subtitles, they explained, "We did not film because it didn't meet Hyunmo Road's criteria. We ask for your understanding, and from now on, we will proceed with audio only," emphasizing the program's purpose.
Afterward, the two visited a restaurant frequented by locals that didn't even have an English menu. Lee Jun, completely captivated by the local charm, awkwardly admitted, "I wasn't thinking about broadcasting; I just wanted to enjoy myself." Jeon Hyun-moo then expressed his conviction: "That's when things really take off. Now viewers know we're doing this for broadcasting and choose not to watch."
Jeon Hyun-moo added, "This place is a hit. We've gone abroad on various broadcasts, but everywhere famous is full of Koreans. It always feels like we're arriving late." He shared his reflections on past programs.
In response, Lee Jun said, "It's not because we're celebrities; we just dislike seeing Koreans when traveling overseas. I also appreciate simplicity. We didn't do anything extraordinary," as he immersed himself in the local atmosphere.
Additionally, Jeon Hyun-moo explained in detail that he personally booked the train tickets. He said, "As soon as we arrived at the airport, I booked a train ticket for tomorrow morning. Train travel abroad is truly romantic," and announced his next travel plans.
Previously, on an August broadcast of MBC variety program 'I Live Alone', Jeon Hyun-moo was shown arriving at the airport without prior planning and booking a flight to Almaty, Kazakhstan. However, evidence emerged suggesting the production team had prepared in advance, sparking allegations of fabrication.
The 'Hyunmo Road' side appeared aware of the controversy, once again emphasizing the program's concept as a "real wandering road trip variety," drawing attention.
The production team previously explained that this program features an unstructured local food and wandering tour where participants personally explore to discover locals' lives, culture, and hidden restaurants instead of following fixed package courses.
in ENTERTAINMENT
