'I Live Alone' producers reverse course, admit receiving filming support from Almaty tourism authority

The production team behind MBC's reality program "I Live Alone" has acknowledged receiving filming support from Almaty's tourism authority amid questions over whether broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo's Kazakhstan "spontaneous trip" was genuine.

In a brief notice titled "Regarding Filming in Kazakhstan" posted on the show's official website Monday, the producers said the Kazakhstan episode involved no financial sponsorship or production cost support from the Almaty Tourism Bureau, and went on to say that the shoot "proceeded smoothly with administrative assistance and on-site filming cooperation necessary for local production."

In other words, the team said no money changed hands — only logistical and administrative support for the shoot was provided.

The statement omitted any specifics about when or how that administrative support was arranged, leaving the impression that the production team was trying to sidestep the controversy rather than address it directly.

Viewers who watched the episode understood that Jeon had spontaneously decided at Incheon International Airport to fly to Kazakhstan on a whim. If the production team had in fact arranged filming cooperation with Almaty authorities in advance, the trip would amount to a staged spontaneous journey — effectively deceiving the audience.

The producers did not apologize.

In the Aug. 14 and Aug. 21 episodes of "I Live Alone," Jeon headed to Incheon airport ahead of a two-day, one-night vacation without a set destination in mind. The broadcast showed him scanning the departure board before choosing Almaty, Kazakhstan, and then scrambling to buy a ticket. He was also shown renting a car and continuing his trip after arriving.

After the episodes aired, critics pointed out that driving in Kazakhstan on a South Korean international driver's license requires advance notarization — and that the presence of a camera crew including a cameraman and a producer made a truly spontaneous trip logistically impossible.

The controversy deepened when the city of Almaty posted on its official government website Wednesday that MBC's "I Live Alone" had filmed locally, stating that the production had received support from the Almaty Tourism Bureau.

The production team issued a separate statement Tuesday, insisting that "Jeon Hyun-moo's Kazakhstan trip is exactly as shown on air" and that the show had not received any filming support or sponsorship.

Unsatisfied with the producers' vague explanation, a viewer filed a petition Saturday through the National Sinmungo public grievance system asking South Korea's Consulate General in Almaty, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to officially confirm whether the Almaty Tourism Bureau provided support, when and by whom initial contact was made with the production, and what specific assistance was given.