Kim Jong Min panics after spotting a snake during hike

On the filming set of '2 Days and 1 Night,' Kim Jong Min and DinDin created unexpected tension when they encountered an actual snake. Rather than a scripted situation, the two froze instantly upon discovering the snake on a mountain path in Taebaek, Gangwon Province, showcasing the raw, vivid realism unique to outdoor variety shows.

In episode 342 of KBS 2TV's '2 Days and 1 Night Season 4,' which aired on the 6th, Kim Jong Min, Moon Se-yoon, Lee Joon, DinDin, Lee Yong-jin, and Lee Ki Taek traveled to Taebaek, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, for a 'Stamina Recovery Special Body Food Tour.' During the trip, Kim Jong Min and DinDin performed a mission to visit Geomryongso, known as the source of the Han River, to fetch water.

While the two were climbing the mountain path, a warning sign reading 'Caution: Snake Appearance' caught their eye. DinDin mentioned that while he had seen the warning sign, he had never actually seen a snake, whereas Kim Jong Min shared his own experience, claiming, "I've seen many."

Kim Jong Min even claimed to have seen a snake at the Han River. When DinDin expressed disbelief, asking, "How could there be a snake in the Han River?", Kim Jong Min stood his ground, adding a specific eyewitness account of a snake raising its head. It was a moment that felt like a warning of a situation difficult to predict even in other outdoor variety shows.

However, shortly after, the atmosphere shifted abruptly when the production team announced, "There's a snake here." The two were momentarily tense and were greatly startled upon confirming the presence of a snake on the mountain path.

As soon as Kim Jong Min saw the snake, he shouted, "Hey, it's a cobra!" However, upon closer inspection, the snake was not a living creature but a carcass. Kim Jong Min quickly realized the situation, saying, "It passed away," and only relaxed after confirming it was not a live snake.

DinDin was equally flustered. Unlike the exaggerated reactions typically seen during missions, the response shown by the two on broadcast was closer to the instinctive alertness that arises when suddenly encountering a living creature in a real outdoor environment. The tension of the scene intensified as the warning sign previously noted by the production team turned into a real situation.

In particular, Kim Jong Min's exclamation of "cobra" provided laughter for viewers. He had momentarily called the snake found on a domestic mountain path a cobra without confirming the exact species, capturing his signature intuitive reaction triggered by the startling situation. It was not confirmed on the broadcast that the actual species of the snake was a cobra.

One of the reasons '2 Days and 1 Night' has been loved for a long time is that the travel destination itself acts as an unpredictable variable. While production teams can control the space and situation in indoor studio variety shows, in outdoor variety shows set against mountains, seas, islands, and valleys, the weather, terrain, and even accidentally appearing flora and fauna become variables in the broadcast.

In this Taebaek episode, the program did not stop at simple mukbang or sightseeing. In the process of moving to Geomryongso to perform the mission, the cast members had to adapt to the actual environment, and the snake warning sign served as a literal reminder of the 'rules of the field.'

This is also why the conversation between Kim Jong Min and DinDin created laughter. At first, the exchange between DinDin, who said he had never seen a snake, and Kim Jong Min, who shared his experience of seeing many, felt like a light argument, but the conversation immediately collided with reality upon the discovery of the actual snake. The variety-style language instantly transformed into a realistic reaction in the face of a real situation.

In this episode, besides the snake incident, a changed side of Kim Jong Min was also captured. In a mission to deduce the answer based on hints, he approached logically, stating, "The most important thing is probability," prompting DinDin to express surprise at how Kim's reasoning skills had improved compared to before.

The cast later visited the filming location of the KBS drama 'Descendants of the Sun' and conducted a 3-on-3 group mission on a set reminiscent of a battlefield. As the members, even wearing special costumes, engaged in the large-scale mission, the Taebaek trip expanded beyond simple stamina recovery into various spectacles.

Ultimately, this snake appearance scene once again demonstrated the essence of the program '2 Days and 1 Night.' Going on a trip is not just about seeing tourist attractions, but also about directly passing through unexpected situations in that place. The reason Kim Jong Min's shout of "It's a cobra!" left laughter behind is that, in that moment, it looked like the instinctive reaction of a person who had just unexpectedly discovered a snake on a mountain path.