'I Live Alone' Production Team Officially Apologizes for Manipulation Allegations Regarding Jun Hyun-moo's Impromptu Trip to Kazakhstan

The production team of MBC’s ″I Live Alone″ has issued an official statement and apologized regarding the allegations of manipulation in Jun Hyun-moo’s impromptu trip to Kazakhstan episode. The team explained that the ″impromptu trip″ setting in the Kazakhstan travel episode means that Jun Hyun-moo did not decide on the destination or book the flight in advance, but chose the travel location on the day of the trip. They also stated that, in preparation for the possibility of overseas filming, they reviewed flights and filming conditions in advance and considered several options focusing on countries that could be reached within a limited time. Judging that Kazakhstan was highly likely to be chosen based on Jun Hyun-moo’s usual travel interests and the flight situation at the time, they pre-issued staff flight tickets and requested local filming cooperation to be ready to respond immediately if Kazakhstan was selected. They added that if another destination had been chosen or if they had been unable to secure tickets, the staff’s flight tickets would have been canceled, and the resulting situation would have been naturally included in the broadcast. The production team explained that Jun Hyun-moo checked available flights departing on the day at the airport and issued his Kazakhstan flight ticket on-site. However, they admitted that they did not sufficiently consider that emphasizing the term ″impromptu trip″ in the broadcast could lead to misunderstandings that all travel and filming were conducted without any prior preparation. Regarding support from the Almaty City Tourism Office, the team explained that they received administrative procedures necessary for overseas filming and cooperation for on-site filming. They clarified that the previously stated position of ″no support″ meant there was no financial sponsorship or production cost support, and that this expression could be misunderstood as meaning no administrative or filming cooperation, so they provided supplementary explanation. They apologized for causing confusion due to insufficient explanation during this process. Concerning the use of a rental car, they stated that Jun Hyun-moo personally reserved the vehicle at Incheon Airport, then upon arrival followed the rental company’s instructions by submitting copies of his passport and international driver’s license to receive the car. After the broadcast, when issues regarding incomplete documents were raised, they confirmed through the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kazakhstan that notarization by the Kazakhstan Embassy in Korea is required for car rentals within Kazakhstan, which they learned belatedly. The production team acknowledged their oversight in not thoroughly checking local regulations. The production team emphasized that they have valued conveying the cast members’ daily lives sincerely, but admitted that in this broadcast, in an effort not to disrupt realism and immersion, they lacked sufficient explanation about the filming process. They apologized for causing misunderstanding and confusion among viewers and for not responding quickly and clearly to questions raised. They stated they take criticism and reproach seriously and will reconsider their production methods and attitudes from the ground up to create broadcasts with greater care.