Zico sheds his cool-guy image on Taiwan trip with Chu Sung-hoon, Kim Jong-kook

Zico joins 'Sangnamja Travel Method Season 2' cast

'I broke out of my shell — my inner middle-aged dad energy kept surfacing'

Unscripted spontaneity drives the show's appeal

Chu Sung-hoon, Zico and Kim Jong-kook [SBS Plus]

In front of his older, rougher-edged travel companions, K-pop's self-styled trendsetter let his guard down — and even let a little dad humor slip through. That is the story of singer-producer Zico, who headed to Taiwan alongside Chu Sung-hoon and Kim Jong-kook.

"On this trip, I broke out of my shell," Zico said Tuesday at an online press conference for the new SBS Plus and MBN travel reality show "Sangnamja Travel Method in Taiwan."

The show captures its cast's raw, unfiltered travels as they follow their instincts. Following Season 1, in which Chu and Kim roamed Japan's Kyushu region with Big Bang member Daesung last May, rapper and producer Zico has joined as the new youngest member of the group for this season.

Director Kim Jin-ho said the previous season topped Taiwan's largest OTT platform for three consecutive weeks, drawing an enthusiastic local response. "We wanted to repay that love by introducing Taiwan's hidden charms," he said, explaining the choice of destination.

The team looked for someone who would fit naturally alongside the two leads. "Our criteria for a guest were someone young, hot and able to gel with the two MCs," Kim said. "Zico was our number-one pick from the start."

It was Zico's first travel variety show in about three years, following SBS's "Math-Free Field Trip" in 2023. "I didn't need even a second to think it over at the first meeting — I just had a good feeling right away," he said. He added that the show's appeal was its unfiltered look at the members' true selves rather than a conventional travel format. "Normally when I travel, I don't leave the bed unless my friends push me to go out," he said. "This trip actually got me out from under the covers."

Zico shed his polished trendsetter image entirely on the trip. "Normally I try to look put-together no matter what, but this time I dropped all of that," he said. "The middle-aged dad energy I usually keep suppressed just kept bubbling up." He confessed that while packing his bags he caught himself humming along to Kim Jong-kook's signature melodic muttering without even realizing it. "My hyungs stripped everything away from me," he said. "I ended up letting it all go."

The chemistry with his older travel companions was easy. "Even when the cameras were off, Chu Sung-hoon was Chu Sung-hoon and Kim Jong-kook was Kim Jong-kook," Zico said. He added that the best hospitality for him was being left alone rather than fussed over, and that both men respected his privacy once the day's schedule ended. "Things just refused to go the way I intended — I couldn't believe how scatterbrained I was," he said. "Watching us try hard and still end up with strange results will be one of the highlights."

The bromance between returning members Chu and Kim also deepened. "Jong-kook sometimes feels like a sunbae, and sometimes he gets on my nerves," Chu said, "but even though he's not a professional athlete, he has that athlete's vibe, so I feel completely at ease with him." Kim returned the compliment: "Sung-hoon has this raw, neighborhood-older-brother charm that's all his own. Teasing him and watching his reactions is always fresh and fun."

The show's biggest draw is its spontaneity and improvisation, steering clear of predictable tourism routes. "Taiwan is a popular destination, but we didn't go to the obvious spots — even we were surprised, saying 'I didn't know this place existed,'" Kim said. He described the dynamic with the production team: "Even if the crew has a schedule planned, if we're tired or think something won't be fun, we just say so honestly. If we suddenly feel like doing some exercise that wasn't on the itinerary, the crew happily accommodates us — that unscripted spontaneity is what makes it fun."

Kim also offered his definition of the "sangnamja" spirit at the heart of the show. "It's not about looking the part," he said. "There are people who are sangnamja in their mindset. Our show is about taking on challenges without fear. Not backing down when the moment presents itself — that's what sangnamja travel is."

"Sangnamja Travel Method in Taiwan" takes the trio across the island, starting in Taipei and continuing through Taichung, Chiayi and Kaohsiung. The show premiered Tuesday.

shee@heraldcorp.com