'I Live Alone' producers apologize for staging 'spontaneous' Kazakhstan trip

The production team behind MBC's variety program "I Live Alone" has apologized over allegations that it staged broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo's Kazakhstan trip as a "spontaneous" journey.

The producers released an official statement Friday addressing the allegations and offering an apology.

On the central claim that the "spontaneous travel" segment was fabricated, the team confirmed that Jeon did in fact decide on his destination and purchase his ticket at the airport on the day of departure. However, the producers said they had reviewed various flight options in advance and anticipated that Jeon would choose Kazakhstan — and had therefore pre-booked staff flights and arranged local filming cooperation ahead of time. Had Jeon chosen a different destination, the staff tickets would have been canceled, they said.

"In emphasizing the 'spontaneous travel' concept on air, we did not give sufficient consideration to the possibility that viewers might take it to mean the entire trip and filming process proceeded with absolutely no advance preparation," the producers said, apologizing for the misunderstanding.

The team also addressed allegations that it had falsely denied receiving support from the Almaty Tourism Authority. "We did receive administrative assistance and on-site filming cooperation from the Almaty Tourism Authority for the overseas shoot," the statement read. "Our earlier position that there was 'no support' was intended to mean there was no monetary sponsorship or production funding." The producers apologized for allowing the wording to create the impression that no administrative or on-site cooperation had taken place whatsoever.

The production team also acknowledged wrongdoing over allegations that Jeon drove a rental vehicle in Kazakhstan without the required notarization. The producers said Jeon had booked the vehicle from Incheon Airport and, upon arrival, submitted copies of his passport and international driver's license to the rental company as instructed. "It was only after the broadcast, when questions were raised about the missing documentation, that we confirmed through the South Korean Embassy in Kazakhstan that renting a vehicle there requires notarization by the Kazakhstan Embassy in Korea," they said, acknowledging the failure to carefully verify local regulations.

"Honesty has been our top priority, but we failed to provide a sufficient explanation of the actual filming process, causing misunderstanding and confusion," the producers said. "We take the criticism and reproach we have received seriously, and we will return to our original principles and fundamentally reassess our production approach."

Hello. This is the production team of MBC's "I Live Alone."

First, we sincerely apologize for the delay in issuing a detailed statement. As a reality program, we were concerned that sharing the specifics of our production process with viewers might undermine the sense of authenticity that is central to the show and disrupt their immersion — and that concern led to our failure to respond promptly. We apologize again.

Jeon Hyun-moo's Kazakhstan travel episode was produced by following along with his everyday life, as he is someone who regularly enjoys spontaneous trips.

The "spontaneous travel" depicted in the broadcast referred to Jeon's approach of deciding on a destination and purchasing a ticket on the day of departure, without fixing either in advance.

In preparation for the episode, the production team reviewed flight options and filming conditions in advance to be ready for the possibility of an overseas shoot. We examined a range of nearby destinations reachable within a limited timeframe, and concluded — based on destinations Jeon had previously expressed interest in and the available flights at the time — that Kazakhstan was the most likely choice.

Accordingly, we pre-booked staff flights and arranged local filming cooperation so we could begin shooting immediately if Kazakhstan was confirmed as the destination. If Jeon had chosen a different destination on the day or been unable to secure a flight to Kazakhstan, the staff tickets would have been canceled, and any unexpected developments in that process would have been captured naturally as part of the travel story.

On the day, Jeon checked available departing flights at the airport and purchased his ticket to Kazakhstan on the spot. However, in emphasizing the "spontaneous travel" concept on air, we did not give sufficient consideration to the possibility that viewers might take it to mean the entire trip and filming process proceeded with absolutely no advance preparation.

Regarding support from the Almaty Tourism Authority: the production team did receive administrative assistance and on-site filming cooperation from the authority for the overseas shoot. Our earlier statement that there was "no support" was intended to mean there was no monetary sponsorship or production funding, and we are providing this clarification because that wording could be taken to mean there was no administrative or filming cooperation of any kind. We apologize for the confusion caused by our insufficient explanation.

Regarding the rental vehicle: Jeon booked the vehicle himself from Incheon Airport, and upon arrival submitted copies of his passport and international driver's license to the rental company as instructed and took possession of the car. After the broadcast, however, questions were raised about incomplete documentation, and upon checking with the South Korean Embassy in Kazakhstan, we belatedly learned that renting a vehicle in Kazakhstan requires notarization by the Kazakhstan Embassy in Korea. This was an oversight on the part of the production team for failing to carefully verify local regulations.

"I Live Alone" has always placed the highest value on conveying the cast's everyday lives as honestly as possible. Nevertheless, in this instance, our judgment was skewed toward preserving the show's sense of reality and viewer immersion, and we failed to provide a sufficient explanation of the actual filming process. As a result, we caused misunderstanding and confusion among viewers, and we were not able to respond swiftly or clearly to the questions that followed. We sincerely apologize for the shortcomings in our judgment and response.

We take the criticism and reproach we have received seriously. We will return to our original principles, reflect on our production methods and approach from the ground up, and work to produce the show with greater care.

Thank you.