“We want to show how Korean football is made. I want to convey the charm of football and make those who are not interested in football take an interest.”
Jo Hyo-jin (48), PD of Coupang Play's original series ‘Shooting Star’, and Coach Choi Yong-soo (53) recently stated this in an interview. PD Jo, who has expressed his love for sports, said he wanted to learn more about football and planned ‘Shooting Star’ to share it with a wider audience. Coach Choi also added, “I wanted to convey the feelings I experienced as a player and coach to the fans. Just being able to work with retired players felt fun, and the atmosphere was good for completing the matches.”
PD Jo said, “I only knew about K League 1, but I didn’t know the league was so subdivided. The more I learned about football, the more stories there were, and the process felt like a drama. I was moved as a director while experiencing the detailed process of how to prepare for a match and how the results come out.”
‘Shooting Star’ is a growth football entertainment show where retired legendary players gather as a team with General Manager Park Ji-sung, Coach Choi Yong-soo, and Coach Seol Ki-hyeon to challenge current K League players once again. They convey intense emotions by competing against actual professional teams (K League 4).
PD Jo expressed confidence, saying, “While filming, I could feel the players' passion and determination were still tremendous. Many players had a considerable gap after retirement, but I believe viewers will feel differently about football matches when they see them still unwilling to lose and striving to achieve their goals.”
Among entertainment programs, there have been many sports entertainment shows with entertaining elements. While they strive to capture the authenticity of sports, some argue that they focus too much on entertainment. PD Jo kept this in mind while producing the program. He said, “I didn’t want it to seem like we were taking football lightly. I wanted to convey to the viewers and the players that we are serious about football. I think I prepared by thinking and studying more about football.”
PD Jo continued, “I was quite worried. The players, coaches, and even the opposing team approached the matches as if it were a battle. It was natural to have the pressure to achieve good match results, so I think there was some burden.”
Listening to PD Jo's aspirations, Coach Choi defined himself as an ‘awakened leader’. He said, “When I was with a professional team, I think I was strict. I used to run only for results, but there are many important elements in football besides that. Through ‘Shooting Star’, I have carefully reflected on that process and am discovering new aspects of myself.”
The ‘awakened leader’ that Coach Choi mentioned refers to an ‘open leader’ who actively and carefully communicates with the players rather than being strict. He created a pleasant atmosphere during the interview with his constant smile and unique humor. Coach Choi said, “I want to create a different image than before. Through this image transformation, I want to have more open experiences in my current role (as a football coach).”
PD Jo has consistently worked on outdoor entertainment shows such as ‘The Zone: Survival’, ‘The Culprit is You’, and ‘Running Man’. That’s why ‘Shooting Star’ didn’t feel too unfamiliar. He said, “I have done outdoor entertainment shows, but this time it was a bit different. Since the matches are not entertainment, I tried to maintain that tension. So, 30 minutes before the match started, I didn’t go near the players with a camera. I only left the cameras that were already set up.” He made an effort to maintain the players' good condition.
PD Jo emphasized ‘authenticity’ as the biggest charm and strength of ‘Shooting Star’. He said, “Although we started as entertainment, retired players are not entertainers, so I thought emphasizing authenticity would be a greater strength. This is something that cannot be shown in any other program.”
Recognizing this, retired football star Park Ji-sung, who has rarely appeared on broadcasts, gladly accepted the position of general manager. PD Jo expressed gratitude, saying, “We got in touch through our connection during ‘Running Man’. After hearing the purpose of the program, he thought it would be good for the development of Korean football. He has a great love for football, from youth football to the national team.”
No matter how great the authenticity towards football is, it cannot be denied that it is still an entertainment program. PD Jo did not overlook this point. He said, “Coach Choi is serious about football, but he is really fun in private. I often think, ‘Why isn’t this person on air?’ The players seem to adapt to the program easily and enjoyably thanks to the coach.”
Coach Choi emphasized, “As a football player and coach, it is truly a pleasure to meet retired players again. Rather than the great burden and pressure of achieving goals, I tried to show football where we can reminisce together and create new memories. I told the players, ‘Let’s play happy football.’ The ultimate goal is to convey the true nature of Korean football, including the K League.”
‘Shooting Star’ currently does not have a home stadium. PD Jo expressed his strong ambition, saying, “If the program gains popularity and we get to Season 2, I want to set a home stadium. Also, at that time, I want to invite general audiences to join us.”
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
