[Edaily Starin Reporter Gim Ga Yeong ] Controversy has arisen after allegations surfaced that TV personality Jeon Hyun-moo had booked his flight in advance, despite appearing to embark on an impromptu trip to Almaty, Kazakhstan, on MBC’s “I Live Alone.”

On the 29th, the YouTube channel “Entertainment President Lee Jin-ho” addressed Jeon Hyun-moo’s impromptu trip to Almaty, Kazakhstan—featured on MBC’s “I Live Alone”—stating, “We did not receive any sponsorship from Almaty,” and explaining, “It is true that the trip was spontaneous.”
However, they claimed, “It was staged,” adding, “The production team pitched the ‘spontaneous trip’ concept about a week prior, and Kazakhstan was chosen as the destination. The part where he supposedly saw a digital billboard and spontaneously booked a flight was staged.”
YouTuber Lee Jin-ho said, “If Jeon Hyun-moo were traveling alone, he could book a ticket on the spur of the moment,” adding, “But since a PD, writer, director of photography, and sound director had to accompany him, how could he have secured tickets? So, naturally, the production team’s tickets were prepared a week in advance. I’ll leave it to the viewers to decide whether this constitutes manipulation or staging.”
Previously, on MBC’s *I Live Alone*, Jeon Hyun-moo was shown setting off on an impromptu overseas trip without any prior preparation after being given a two-day, one-night break. Without even deciding on a destination, he went to Incheon International Airport, found an available flight, paid for it, and spontaneously departed for Kazakhstan. He then rented a car and enjoyed his trip there.
However, some viewers with experience traveling to Kazakhstan raised questions after watching the episode. They pointed out that renting a car in Kazakhstan typically requires going through complex procedures—such as depositing one’s driver’s license at the embassy and obtaining a notarized copy—yet the broadcast showed him renting a car quickly and easily without going through these steps. This led to allegations of fabrication.
As the controversy spread, the production team of “I Live Alone” eventually stated, “Jeon Hyun-moo’s trip to Kazakhstan unfolded exactly as shown on the broadcast: he submitted his international driver’s license and passport to a local car rental company at the airport immediately before departing for Kazakhstan and rented a car,” adding “After the broadcast, we received inquiries about how to rent a car locally and checked with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kazakhstan, where we belatedly confirmed that a separate notarization procedure is required.” The embassy informed us that many Korean citizens have suffered losses due to this issue locally and that they would take measures to provide further guidance to prevent future visitors from facing similar problems.
He further emphasized, “We did not receive any filming support or sponsorship in connection with this trip to Kazakhstan,” adding, “Going forward, the production team of ‘I Live Alone’ will exercise greater care when producing the show.”
However, they have not yet issued a further statement regarding matters such as airline ticket issuance.