‘Neighborhood Round’, which has reached its 300th episode, is aiming for ‘Human Theater’.
On the morning of the 20th at 10:30 AM, a press conference for the 300th special episode of KBS1 documentary ‘Neighborhood Round’ was held at KBS in Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, attended by PDs Lee Man-ki and Yoon Jin-kyu.
When asked about his feelings on reaching the 300th episode, PD Yoon Jin-kyu said, “There were times when I was away in between, but I started from the pilot. At that time, I said, ‘The goal is to reach 100 episodes,’ and now to have already reached 300 is overwhelming.”
He continued, “As a PD, I am grateful that the program is still alive and is having a positive influence. ‘Human Theater’ has been around for about 25 years, and I think we should aim for that high mountain.”
First broadcast in November 2018, ‘Neighborhood Round’ is a healing program that explores hidden stories across South Korea, reminding viewers of the ‘value of the neighborhood’. After the first neighborhood host Kim Young-chul, Lee Man-ki is currently serving as the neighborhood host.
When asked what kind of color he pursues as the MC of ‘Neighborhood Round’, Lee Man-ki said, “The character of the first MC, Kim Young-chul, was very strong. So I had a lot of fears and excitement about how to continue such a good program.”
He added, “At first, I tried to do it like Kim Young-chul, but it was too difficult. I struggled for a while and realized I couldn’t follow him. So I tried to differentiate myself by focusing on my strengths, which are being warm, kind, and a good listener.”
In response, PD Yoon Jin-kyu expressed satisfaction, saying, “Lee Man-ki’s greatest strength is his stamina. The schedule for ‘Neighborhood Round’ is tough, but he has never said ‘NO’ to the production team while being the MC. He handles everything, whether it’s work or climbing mountains, with great skill.”
The 300th special episode is titled ‘[Overseas Koreans Special 2-part series] Going to Central Asia’ and highlights the lives of the oldest overseas Koreans in Central Asia.
PD Yoon Jin-kyu explained the reason for choosing Central Asia for the 300th special, saying, “We thought a lot internally about how to differentiate ourselves before reaching 300 episodes. The idea of going abroad came up, and I thought that if we went to the homeland of the Koreans, we could create new empathy.”
He added, “Currently, there are about 500,000 Koreans in Central Asia, mostly in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. So we wanted to capture not only the lives of Koreans but also the lives of Koreans who have settled there.”
Were there any difficulties during the overseas filming?
PD Yoon Jin-kyu said, “They don’t speak Korean. Since we always had interpreters with us, it was difficult to communicate at times. However, the locals were very kind. Our staff consisted of about 15 to 17 people, and when they heard we were a reporting team from Korea, the atmosphere was very friendly. In both Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, they greeted us in Korean with ‘Hello’, which was impressive.”
In response to the same question, Lee Man-ki said, “I didn’t worry about my stamina, but I am very picky about food, which was tough. In fact, I can’t eat lamb. When the PD asked me to taste a bite of (Uzbek traditional food), I thought I was going to die. Also, this time I really felt how famous K-pop and K-culture are overseas. Thanks to the passion of those who want to learn about Korea, we were able to communicate even without a common language.”
Finally, PD Yoon Jin-kyu said, “I hope ‘Neighborhood Round’ continues to be loved. I also talked to Lee Man-ki about how both the MC and the production team are aging, and we hope to continue the program together. I hope those things come true.” Lee Man-ki added, “I hope it becomes a program that stays deep in our hearts.”
Meanwhile, the first part of the ‘Neighborhood Round’ overseas Koreans special will air on the 21st at 7:10 PM.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
