Park Myung-soo Sets Off on a Suspicious “Reward Vacation”: Who Were the Hard-Won Guests?

Korean comedian Park Myung-soo, 55, is heading out on what is being described as a suspicious reward vacation.

JTBC Digital Studio’s new program Ipdatgo Posang Hyuga will premiere on June 10 at 5:30 p.m. The digital variety show is a spin-off of the web entertainment series Hal Myung-soo, and it was planned by the production team as a reward-vacation project for Park Myung-soo as the show enters its seventh year. The trip is packaged as a full-service getaway that includes flights, lodging, and sightseeing, but there is one catch: Park must follow the schedule prepared by the staff without complaint, in line with the show’s “keep your mouth shut” concept.

A teaser video released on June 3 showed Park personally trying to recruit members to travel with him. Reflecting on the long run of Hal Myung-soo, he said, “I did not make it this far because I did well alone. It was possible because many guests helped me.” With that remark, he expressed gratitude to the cast members and guests who had helped brighten the series over the years.

Park then called several guests who had previously stood out on Hal Myung-soo, including Jung Hyung-don, Lee Hyo-ri, Lee Su-ji, Joy, and Vernon, and invited them to join the trip. Jung Hyung-don, described as Park’s close friend, turned him down immediately, saying, “I will not go unless it is business class to Italy.” Vernon of SEVENTEEN also declined politely, saying, “I really want to go, but it is difficult because I am about to enlist in the military.”

In the latter half of the teaser, the destination and the members who would accompany Park were finally revealed. The travelers turned out to be Kwanghee, known on the program as Park Myung-soo’s representative “Suballer,” and Mimi, who appeared in the Macau episode of Hal Myung-soo last summer. The three set off for Bangkok, Thailand, a city widely recognized as a major tourism destination.

However, the mood changed as soon as the three saw the itinerary prepared by the production team. Park looked flustered and asked, “Is this really a reward vacation?” Kwanghee was equally stunned, saying, “One day has three days’ worth of schedule,” leaving him unable to close his mouth in disbelief.