The final journey that marks the end of the ‘Taegeuk Ilju’ series is coming.
On the 8th, a production presentation for MBC's entertainment program ‘Born to Travel the World 4’ (hereafter ‘Taegeuk Ilju 4’) was held at MBC's new building in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Attendees included Gian84, Pani Bottle, Lee Si-eon, PD Kim Ji-woo, and PD Park Dong-bin.
This season features the complete set of the four brothers: Gian84, Pani Bottle, Lee Si-eon, and Dex. Having traveled to various places around the world including India, the Amazon, the Uyuni Salt Flat, Bolivia, and Madagascar, this time they are heading to ‘Chama-godo’.
PD Kim Ji-woo expressed gratitude, saying, “Thank you for your continued support and interest despite the seasons passing,” and explained, “Gian84, Pani Bottle, Lee Si-eon, and Dex. Although it’s not easy for the four of them to go, they travel to places they dream of visiting, experiencing cultures and growing through the program.”
PD Park Dong-bin confidently stated, “We have been doing this fun series for three years. I know there are other entertainment shows that have gone to season 4, but I think ours is the most entertaining.”
‘Taegeuk Ilju’ has become a representative entertainment program for MBC. The show has successfully captured both viewership ratings and public interest in all three previous seasons, and Gian84 achieved the remarkable feat of being the first non-entertainer to win the Grand Prize at the MBC Entertainment Awards through this program. He also set a record by winning in seven categories, including the Grand Prize and Program of the Year award.
In the midst of this, Gian84 hinted that this season would be the last. After winning the Entertainment Person of the Year award, a candidate for the Grand Prize at the ‘2024 MBC Broadcasting Entertainment Awards’, he remarked, “I think ‘Born to Travel the World’ will have one last trip this year.”
Is he still feeling the same way now, just before the first broadcast? Gian84 said, “I didn’t think I would come back, but I’m glad to be back. This was the hardest trip I’ve ever done. I’m excited and curious about how the viewers will perceive it.” He added, “I talked with the PD. After filming, I felt that way. It didn’t feel like I had a satisfying conclusion when I was doing webtoons, but this time I felt a sense of accomplishment.”
He continued, “The PD keeps saying not to call it the last, but I think it is the last. Isn’t it nice to leave when the applause stops?”
Gian84 feels this way because he has traveled without regrets. He explained, “Before I draw webtoons, there’s a thrilling point. I think, ‘This could be fun,’ but this time, I didn’t have those thoughts. I traveled without regrets. If I were to do it again, I wouldn’t have the energy, and I think the viewers would know that. I feel like I’ve burned everything out, so I feel a sense of accomplishment.”
He added, “I thought it would be fun to go to North Korea or how much a space trip would cost, but I couldn’t see anything within reach. If there are travel destinations that viewers can look forward to, I think there might be a desire to leave again.”
However, PD Kim Ji-woo mentioned, “We said it was the last during season 2, and we said it was really the end during season 3. This time, we left as if we wouldn’t come back. There was that feeling. We left with the mindset of a last dance. Although we have that feeling of it being the last, when we have our first gathering after returning, someone strongly suggested that we shouldn’t stop and should keep traveling, so we will discuss it further,” leaving the possibility that it might not be the last season.
On that day, Pani Bottle said, “Every time we do this, I say this season was the hardest, but it seems our threshold has increased. It was hard this time too, but I think it will be the most fun.”
He continued, “Among the four of us, including Dex, I’m the one who doesn’t exercise at all. Si-eon hyung also didn’t exercise, but this time he came prepared. There was a lot of physical activity this time. It was also at a high altitude. No one forced me, but I felt embarrassed just watching from the side, so I joined in and felt the physical strain. It was painful.”
Pani Bottle added, “It was hard while doing it, and I wondered if this was right. But after seeing the teaser, it looks fun because the cast struggled. I had a hard time, but I have no regrets.”
Lee Si-eon said, “This is the second time since season 1 that I’m starting from the beginning. It feels new. It was very hard.” He added, “I went to the Gurkha Mercenary Academy. I trained for two days and one night. It was so hard that I wanted to curse, and Pani Bottle almost passed out.”
It was also a challenging season for Gian84. He revealed, “After returning from ‘Taegeuk Ilju’, I usually lie sick for about two weeks. But this time, it’s been about a month since I returned. I just started feeling better now. I was constantly getting IV drips, and I thought I might be sick because my body was not well.”
The youngest, Dex, who traveled with them, could not attend the event due to scheduling issues. Lee Si-eon mentioned their training at the Gurkha Mercenary Academy, saying, “That was where Dex wanted to go. These friends train every day and achieve very high results. Dex was amazing there. If he throws a few poisonous words, he becomes a different person the next day.”
PD Kim Ji-woo said, “The people at the mercenary academy were the strongest. I saw Dex becoming weak and then awakening and growing. The detailed scenes are spoilers, but there will be some amazing moments.”
He continued, “Dex enjoyed every moment. He made eye contact and greeted everyone in the production team, and I thought he had become much closer. Although he is the youngest, there were moments when he looked like an older brother. When the immature older brothers were being silly, he organized and led them beautifully. It was so cool.”
PD Kim also mentioned, “There was an unexpected beauty contest. Pani Bottle has been losing weight. He says he’s losing his role, but I think he’s competing in terms of looks.”
‘Taegeuk Ilju 4’ will premiere on the 11th at 9:10 PM.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
