[Captured from MBC variety show "I Live Alone"]
[Captured from MBC variety show "I Live Alone"]

Actor Kim Min, who had been caught up in a fabrication controversy, is set to return to "I Live Alone," drawing renewed attention from viewers.

A preview teasing Kim Min's comeback aired at the end of episode 670 of MBC's variety show "I Live Alone," which broadcast Friday.

In the preview, Kim Min arrives by bicycle through the fog at a community sports day in Dongducheon.

Noting the area's older demographic, he set his goal on winning the relay race and mingled freely with local residents — only to commit an embarrassing slip of the tongue while the group chanted a slogan together before the event.

When residents shouted "We don't need priority seats," Kim Min misheard it as "We don't need the elderly" and repeated the phrase out loud.

An elderly resident immediately scolded him, saying, "What do you mean we don't need the elderly? You should say even the elderly can do it!" — sending the crowd into laughter.

"Young people have left and many elderly residents remain. People look down on us because the average age is high," Kim Min said, declaring his goal of finishing first in the relay.

Footage of Kim Min competing in the relay was also shown, leaving viewers curious whether he will manage to restore the neighborhood's pride.

Kim Min had first appeared on "I Live Alone" in October, revealing a 90-year-old house in Dongducheon where he said he had been staying. "It's my brother's house — we were close as families. It's been unused for a long time, so I've been living there when I travel in and out of the country," he said. The appearance sparked a fabrication controversy.

Some online users raised doubts based on street-view imagery, claiming the segment had been staged. Others pushed back, with comments such as "Using street view to stalk someone is too far" and "Stop looking for things to criticize."

An MBC official said the house shown in the broadcast was indeed where Kim Min actually lives, and that the production team had not made any separate arrangements or staged any part of the situation.

Viewers and online commenters responded warmly across various online communities and video comment sections. "He must have gone through so much stress because of the controversy — I'm really glad he's back," wrote one user. Others said they were happy to see his signature goofy, scatterbrained charm again and expressed anticipation for the laughs his new appearance would bring.


min3654@heraldcorp.com