Was It Really Impromptu? ‘I Live Alone’ Says Almaty Authorities Helped Jeon Hyun-moo’s Trip

MBC has denied receiving money for Jeon Hyun-moo’s Kazakhstan trip, but acknowledged that Almaty authorities helped the production behind the scenes.

The production team of “I Live Alone” said on Aug. 31 that Almaty’s tourism office provided no financial sponsorship or production budget. It did receive help with administrative procedures required for local filming and with arrangements needed on location, the team said.

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There was no financial sponsorship or production budget support from the Almaty tourism office.

The statement followed a broadcast on Aug. 14 that showed Jeon choosing his destination spontaneously at the airport before flying to Almaty, renting a car and traveling around Kazakhstan. Questions emerged after the program aired when information circulated that drivers in Kazakhstan need the original South Korean driver’s license and a notarized Russian translation, even if they hold an international driving permit.

The debate grew after Almaty’s official website published a post on Aug. 21 saying the popular Korean variety show had introduced the city to Korean viewers. The post described the filming as having been carried out with support from Almaty’s tourism department. MBC’s clarification distinguishes that administrative and filming cooperation from direct financial backing, while leaving the focus on how spontaneous the televised trip really was.

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We clarify that the filming proceeded smoothly with administrative assistance for procedures required for local filming and cooperation with on-site production.