On the morning of the 20th, a special press conference for the 300th episode of KBS 1TV’s ‘A Round the Neighborhood’ was held at the KBS main building in Yeouigongwon-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Producer Jin-gyu Yoon and actor Man-gi Lee attended the event and told various stories about the program.
‘A Tour of the Neighborhood’ is a city travel documentary program that delivers warm comfort in a difficult life by rediscovering the hidden charm of the neighborhood, like a treasure hunt, the beauty of the neighborhood that has been lost in the age of speed, and the people who are like an oasis. It will soon be the 300th episode. PD Yoon said, “I was away for a while, but this is a program that I have been with from the beginning. At the press conference when I started, I said that my goal was to run up to 100 episodes, and the fact that we have reached 300 episodes is very touching. I can have a positive influence. “I’m happy as a producer,” he said. He continued, “I hope that it will continue beyond 300 episodes, to 500 episodes, and even to 1,000 episodes. ‘Human Theater’ has been around for about 25 years, and we are aiming to reach the peak of ‘Human Theater’.” “We wanted to cherish the value of the ‘wheel,’” he added.
‘A Walk Around the Neighborhood’, which celebrates its 300th episode, plans to conduct a ‘2-part special on overseas Koreans’ and visit Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to shed light on our immigration history and the lives of overseas Koreans. PD Yoon said, “From the producer’s perspective, the 100th, 200th, and 300th specials were the most difficult. I was worried because they were specials with great meaning, but I felt like they would be buried if I made them regular items, so I wanted to go abroad.” “I was thinking about a place where I could create a revolution, and I decided to go to Central Asia because I thought it would be a good idea to go to the place where the Korean people, the Koryo people, live and meet them,” he said. Lee Man-gi said, “I realized that K-culture is so famous when I went this time, and I could feel their affection and passion for learning about Korea.” He added, “Korean people have an emotion of the Republic of Korea, so they always miss it and want to come, and the Republic of Korea warmly welcomes them.” “I thought I should hug you.”
Lee Man-gi also shared his thoughts about working with the program as the second MC. Lee Man-ki said, “The character of the previous MC, Kim Young-cheol, was strong and good, so I thought about ‘how can I continue that good thing’ rather than ‘how can I apply my color?'” and “It was very difficult to follow in the beginning, so I had to find my own path.” “I said I would do it, and I thought, ‘Let’s listen carefully to their stories.’ I think meeting with citizens, listening to their stories well, and forming a consensus is what sets me apart,” he said. Producer Yoon then said, “Lee Man-gi’s strength is his physical strength. While working as an MC, he never once said ‘no’ to a request from the production staff.” He added, “Also, I am able to communicate at eye level with citizens, which is not an easy skill to have,” adding, “Thanks to this, the stories come out in abundance.”
What is the program’s unique differentiation and identity? PD Yoon said, “At first, we started in 2018 with the idea of ’let’s hunt for hidden treasures in the neighborhood,'” and added, “Since then, programs with similar formats have come out, and there are so many restaurants and travel programs, so we thought about how to differentiate ourselves while maintaining originality.” “I did,” he said. He continued, “What I think is the value and differentiation of ‘A Walk Around the Neighborhood’ is rediscovering the uniqueness of a neighborhood and the value of the people behind the information.” He added, “Even if you go to a restaurant, it contains the story of the person who runs it. “I think human stories are our differentiation and identity. It can be said to be a ‘human theater’ that is a ‘round the neighborhood’ version,” he said.
Meanwhile, ‘A Walk Around the Neighborhood’ airs every Saturday at 7:10 PM.
Economy Queen Reporter Kim Kyeong-eun
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