Jun Hyun-moo refuses to film in Da Nang if Koreans are spotted

Jun Hyun-moo has boldly turned away from a famous tourist attraction in Da Nang, Vietnam. The reason was simple: he saw more Korean tourists than locals. Instead of visiting famous spots already familiar to Korean travelers, Jun's spontaneous choice to seek out unknown locations has emerged as the key differentiator for this new travel variety show.

MBN's new variety program 'This is Hyunmoo Road', which premieres on the 20th, revealed the show's unique identity through a preview of the first journey taken by Jun Hyun-moo and Lee Joon.

'This is Hyunmoo Road' aims to be a raw, "footwork" road trip where the two dive directly into local life and culture to find hidden gems, food, and scenery rather than following a set tour course. The production team, which showcased spontaneous gourmet tours without relying on maps or search results through 'No Plans At All' over the past three years, has now expanded their scope from food to the entire journey.

The first destination was Da Nang, Vietnam, a location well-known to Koreans. Due to its short flight distance from Korea, convenient tourism infrastructure, and the ability to enjoy both relaxation and gourmet travel, it has long been a representative Southeast Asian resort destination for Korean travelers.

However, the Da Nang Jun Hyun-moo wanted was different from the one found in travel guides.

In the preview, Jun began his journey saying, “Today's destination is Da Nang,” but as soon as he arrived at a famous tourist attraction, he faced an unexpected sight. As he noticed Koreans among the crowds, he immediately assessed the situation.

“Koreans all come here.”

For a host of a travel variety show visiting a famous tourist spot, it would have been natural to continue filming. However, Jun's choice was the exact opposite. He turned his car around without hesitation, appearing composed even when the navigation announced, “You have departed from the route.”

Instead, Jun expressed his intention to give up filming altogether, stating, “It doesn't match our standards, so it's over.” To uphold the core concept of the program—'travel destinations that Koreans have not yet discovered'—he boldly excluded places that had already become famous.

His criteria for travel were clear.

“The standard for our travel is to find places that Korean people have not yet visited.”

This carries a meaning beyond simply avoiding famous tourist attractions. Recently, many travel variety shows have created a phenomenon known as "broadcast-driven hot places," where areas featured become new tourist attractions immediately after airing. In contrast, 'This is Hyunmoo Road' seeks differentiation by directly discovering places that cannot be easily found through search engines.

It is also far from the typical package-style travel where destinations are decided in advance. Instead of a completed tour course, Jun and Lee are presented with situations where they must decide their next destination by interacting directly with the local environment.

The two entered restaurants frequented by locals and, in situations where language was not understood, mobilized everything from hand gestures to facial expressions. Since they prioritize local authenticity and serendipity over travel convenience, the structure ensures that unexpected situations themselves become the content.

Jun also immersed himself in the journey, appearing like a true wanderer with disheveled hair and casual clothing. Expressing his satisfaction, he said, “How real is this?” and added, “To truly feel Vietnam, we must throw ourselves into the crowd.”

Because they excluded places frequented by many tourists, unfamiliar landscapes naturally appeared. The scene where Lee Joon arrived at a local beach with an unfamiliar name and expressed surprise, saying, “There isn't a single Korean among all these people,” symbolically shows the direction of the program.

The two continued their unplanned experiences, such as riding boats through the sea with locals and drinking beer at outdoor venues unknown to tourists. It is a journey of a different texture from the typical method of taking "proof shots" at famous tourist attractions. The closer they get to the daily lives of locals, the more unexpected encounters and situations occur, which themselves become the narrative of the journey.

Jun eventually expressed his satisfaction, saying, “This is what travel is. How do Koreans not know about this place?” Although he initially departed from the navigation's route, he ultimately created a new travel route unique to the duo by deviating from the existing tour course.

'Footwork' is already a familiar broadcasting grammar for Jun. In 'No Plans At All', he made the process of finding restaurants and gathering information from locals a primary content driver. This was a method of turning the "process of searching" into a variety show narrative, unlike traditional travel or gourmet programs that deliver finished information.

'This is Hyunmoo Road' expands this formula. This time, they are discovering not just food, but locations, people, culture, and routes. The core appeal lies in the decisions Jun and Lee make in unpredictable situations and the results those choices yield.

The chemistry between Lee Joon, an actor and singer, and Jun is also a key variable. With Jun leading with spontaneity and Lee observing the local scenery with a fresh perspective, the travel show has the potential to expand into a character-driven variety show.

Ultimately, 'This is Hyunmoo Road' focuses more on "how they found it" rather than "where they went." In an era where search engines provide lists of tourist spots and restaurants in seconds, the analog approach of entering places with little information becomes the ultimate differentiator.

Whether Jun's decision to turn away from a crowded spot will be seen as a mere variety show stunt or as a new grammar for travel programming will be revealed in the premiere. Interest is growing to see if the concept of 'Hyunmoo Road'—where a real journey begins the moment you close your search engine and get lost—can create new possibilities for the travel genre.