'I Live Alone' producers admit filming assistance for Jeon Hyun-moo's Almaty trip, deny financial sponsorship

The production team behind MBC variety show "I Live Alone" has moved to contain a controversy surrounding broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo's purportedly spontaneous trip to Almaty, Kazakhstan.

In an official statement Monday, the show's producers drew a clear line on the financial question. "There was no monetary sponsorship or production cost support from the Almaty city tourism authority for the Kazakhstan episode," they said, adding that the team had received only "administrative procedures and filming assistance for the smooth conduct of on-site operations."

The episode that aired Aug. 14 showed Jeon deciding on the spot at the airport to fly to Almaty, then renting a car and traveling around the city — a segment that quickly drew public attention.

Doubts about the "spontaneous travel" concept surfaced almost immediately after the broadcast, when viewers pointed out that driving locally requires notarized documents prepared in advance.

The controversy deepened when the Almaty city tourism authority posted on its official website Aug. 21 that the filming of "I Live Alone" had been carried out with the support of the tourism bureau, fueling allegations of pre-planned production and undisclosed sponsorship.