Broadcaster's remarks on MBN's 'This Is Hyunmu Road' draw attention

Broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo. [Newsis]
Broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo. [Newsis]

Broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo, 48, has drawn attention after commenting on how viewer habits have shifted in the age of observational reality programming.

On Sunday's episode of MBN's "This Is Hyunmu Road," Jeon visited Bac My An Market in Da Nang, Vietnam — a spot largely unknown to Korean travelers.

Jeon and fellow cast member Lee Jun sampled local dishes including banh can, banh xeo and mi quang before making their way to neighborhood restaurants and massage shops.

During dinner, Lee Jun admitted he was worried because he had been "just having fun without thinking about the show at all."

Jeon replied that was exactly the recipe for success. "Viewers now know when we're doing something for the cameras," he said, "and they tune out."

The remark drew comparisons to the controversy surrounding MBC's "I Live Alone" and its so-called "impromptu trip" segment. Last month, Jeon appeared to buy a last-minute ticket to Almaty, Kazakhstan at the airport with no destination planned — but viewers grew suspicious, and it later emerged that the production team had arranged the itinerary in advance with support from the local tourism authority, sparking a backlash.

On "This Is Hyunmu Road," Jeon also explained why he seeks out lesser-known destinations. "I've traveled abroad for all kinds of shows, but the famous spots are always packed with Koreans — it always feels like we're late to the party," he said. "I'm not looking for something grand or spectacular. I find it healing when I throw myself into an environment that's as different from Korea as possible."

The episode also showed Jeon planning ahead for the next leg of the trip. "I booked train tickets as soon as we landed — a morning train on Tuesday," he said. "Taking a train abroad is just so romantic."

Meanwhile, "I Live Alone" has seen its ratings slide steadily since the fabrication controversy broke.

According to Nielsen Korea, the show's nationwide viewership rating stood at 6.5 percent on Aug. 21, just after the allegations surfaced, then fell to 5.2 percent on Sept. 4, 4.8 percent on Sept. 11 and 4.2 percent on Sept. 18. On Friday, the most recent episode, it dropped further to 3.5 percent — slipping into the 3-percent range for the first time.


jshan@heraldcorp.com