New complaint filed over rental car duration in Jeon Hyun-moo's 'impromptu' Kazakhstan trip

A new question has emerged over the rental car booking shown in MBC's reality program "I Live Alone," as the episode featuring broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo's Kazakhstan trip faces scrutiny from the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC).

According to the online community DCInside on Monday, a complainant identified as A, who had previously filed a KCSC review request over the episode's factual accuracy, objectivity and sponsorship disclosures, submitted a supplementary opinion to the commission on Sunday calling for verification of the rental car booking shown in the broadcast.

"The production team described this trip as 'one night and two days — just 29 hours,' but the rental car booking period shown on screen was set for exactly 48 hours, from 9:08 a.m. on Aug. 6, 2026, to 9:08 a.m. on Aug. 8, 2026," A said.

A added that the 29-hour trip presented in the broadcast did not match the 48-hour rental period shown on screen, and that questions also arose regarding Jeon's domestic filming schedule on Aug. 8 and 9. A requested that the actual vehicle rental and return dates, the return itinerary and the circumstances behind the on-screen booking details be verified through objective source materials.

"Given that the production team has acknowledged pre-purchasing staff flights to Kazakhstan, it is also necessary to verify whether the rental car was pre-booked and arranged in advance," A said.

A added that the broadcast did not show the final step of completing the rental car reservation, leaving a reasonable question as to whether the scene depicted the actual booking process or was separately staged and reconstructed to emphasize the "impromptu travel" narrative.

Earlier, in a statement released Friday, the production team said regarding the rental car: "Jeon Hyun-moo booked the vehicle himself at Incheon Airport, and upon arrival at the destination, submitted copies of his passport and international driver's license as directed by the rental company before taking possession of the car."

The team said that after the broadcast, upon receiving criticism over incomplete documentation, it checked with the South Korean Embassy in Kazakhstan and belatedly learned that renting a vehicle in Kazakhstan requires a notarization procedure through the Kazakhstani Embassy in Seoul.

The production team added that it was "an oversight on the part of the production team for failing to carefully verify local regulations."

In this regard, the South Korean Embassy in Kazakhstan issued a travel advisory through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Safe Travel notice on Aug. 25, stating: "Even if you hold an international driver's license, you cannot drive without the original South Korean driver's license and a notarized Russian-language translation."

South Korea issues international driver's licenses under the Geneva Convention, but Kazakhstan is a signatory to the Vienna Convention and does not recognize international driver's licenses issued in South Korea. Even having such a license notarized at a South Korean embassy or consulate does not permit driving in Kazakhstan.

In the episodes that aired Aug. 14 and 21, Jeon was shown arriving at Almaty Airport, receiving a call from the rental car company and being told that if he photographed his passport and international driver's license and sent them by email, a manager would be dispatched to the airport within 40 minutes. He was then shown safely receiving the vehicle at the airport and driving it himself throughout the trip.

In principle, it is not possible to spontaneously rent and drive a vehicle in Kazakhstan using an international driver's license issued in South Korea — yet the broadcast depicted it as though it were.

Some viewers, including A, have called on the regulator to determine whether the production team had secured prior or on-site cooperation from the Almaty tourism authority, or whether the rental company rented out the vehicle in violation of regulations — whether intentionally or by mistake.