[Focus] Rural Farming Smiles, American Gimbap Cries: 'Cold and Hot CJ'

'Eojjeoda Sajang 3' Set in Korean-American Mart in the US
Criticism of Overseas Setting Instead of Countryside: "No Justification"
Where Did the Original Intent of Parts 1 and 2 Go... Health and Hygiene Controversies

'Kongkongpatpat' Urban Bachelors Turned Farmers Find Healing
CJ ENM's Two Variety Shows as Cautionary Examples

Was it wrong from the start? How did CJ ENM cable channel tvN's variety show "Eojjeoda Sajang" Season 3 (hereafter "Eojjeoda Sajang 3") end up heading to the United States? The curiosity lies in the 'intention' behind moving the stage not to a rural village but to America. The production team has been reluctant to answer this question straightforwardly. Season 3 has received criticism for losing its original spirit. Viewers expressed disappointment, saying they could not find the virtues that made Seasons 1 and 2 so beloved. There are also criticisms that the 'justification' for heading to an overseas Korean grocery store is lacking.

[Image source=tvN 'Eojjeoda Sajang 3']

Ultimately, "Eojjeoda Sajang 3" failed to convince its viewers. From the moment news broke during the production phase that the show would be filmed in the U.S., viewers reacted with skepticism. It was hard to understand why the show would move to America instead of a rural village. This is not a show like "1 Night 2 Days," which travels all over the country, nor is it likely that the production ran out of filming locations. "Eojjeoda Sajang" had only visited two villages so far. Yet, suddenly heading to Marina City, California, sparked criticism that the production team was overly conscious of overseas viewers and made an unwise decision.

Producer Ryu Hojin explained the choice of Marina as a filming location in a letter shared with the team just before filming in the U.S.: "There are not many first-generation immigrants left in Marina, and most are elderly or have passed away. The third generation, children of those who stayed, have mostly settled in big cities after receiving good education and do not return."

Somehow, this explanation is unconvincing. This is not a problem unique to Marina City. The migration of younger generations to cities is a concern for rural areas throughout Korea. Moreover, it is a global issue in aging societies, so it is hard to accept this as a valid reason for going to the U.S.

Producer Yoo said, "Nowadays, you can find kimchi, ramen, and napa cabbage anywhere." The intention was to highlight the rarity of Korean grocery stores that are disappearing in this era. But what does that mean? If the aim was to emphasize the preciousness and value of the location, there should have been an explanation of the unique functions or atmosphere that can only be experienced there. However, the location used in "Eojjeoda Sajang 3" was a fairly large, well-organized, modern supermarket. Compared to other regional stores, it was quite sizable, so insisting on the importance of a 'Korean grocery store' lacks persuasiveness.

Except for guest Han Hyo-joo, none of the main cast members?Cha Tae-hyun, Jo In-sung, Lim Ju-hwan, Yoon Kyung-ho?communicated in English in Season 3. Did they approach filming with the mindset that since it was a Korean grocery store frequented by many Koreans, communicating in Korean would suffice? If the director had looked a little closer at the issues faced by the second and third-generation immigrants in the area, which were mentioned as part of the 'planning intention' before filming, they would have anticipated the need to communicate in English. It is hard to understand why the production team chose to film on location in the U.S. with cast members who could not communicate effectively.

[Image source=tvN 'Eojjeoda Sajeong' Season 1 screen capture]

"Eojjeoda Sajang 3" erased the virtues of Seasons 1 and 2 by expanding the stage and scale. This is because it is difficult to offset the errors that occurred when the focus shifted from domestic locations to the U.S. Season 1 featured Cha Tae-hyun and Jo In-sung selling goods at a rural supermarket, interacting with elderly customers and local residents. The small 'gamakjip' (a type of local pub) set up next door also brought smiles to viewers' faces. The tranquil and serene rural scenery and the sight of an old supermarket provided healing for many viewers. Of course, the residents' surprise at seeing celebrities in the rural store was entertaining, but the greater charm lay in the calm and cozy rural atmosphere.

Literally, Cha Tae-hyun and Jo In-sung became 'accidental store owners.' Their confusion about how to treat customers, fumbling with the cash register, and overall clumsiness as 'novice owners' brought laughter. The perfect actors, who usually showed polished performances and glamorous appearances, were interesting to watch as if they had fallen into a rural supermarket and become accidental store owners. Though awkward, they learned price tags one by one, gradually gained confidence, interacted with villagers, and shared their daily lives. Watching them learn how to serve customers and become real store owners was heartwarming. It may sound grand, but this resonates with our lives. No one prepares fully for everything in life. People accidentally get jobs, accidentally become parents, and some accidentally become store owners. This evoked empathy and healing.

Season 2 moved to a discount store, which some viewers found disappointing, but it was praised for showing the diverse stories of local residents in a regional store. The residents' surprise at the appearance of celebrities was repeated. The scenes of residents happily eating ramen cooked by the cast and receiving purchased items were also impressive. Although the setting changed, it was still worth watching because it was set in a quiet southern village, not the Seoul metropolitan area.

Seasons 1 and 2 were praised for being variety shows that provided gentle laughter and fun without sensationalism. More viewers missed Season 1 than Season 2. The anticipation for Season 3 was partly due to this desire. Many requested a return to rural villages.

[Image source=tvN 'Eojjeoda Sajeong' Season 1 screen capture]

Despite many concerns, "Eojjeoda Sajang 3" started airing but received disappointing responses regarding its content. The actors, who had adapted to the store system in previous seasons, did not appear earnest. Moreover, there was no visible effort to adapt locally. The production team placed appropriate guests as needed. The residents' surprise at celebrity appearances, seen in Seasons 1 and 2, was repeated. Why was the focus on children visiting the store so prominent?

The difference was in the cast's attitude. Although they still fumbled while adapting to the new system, the cast confidently told residents, "Please understand because it's our first time." This attitude repeated day after day. They even requested, "If possible, please pay in cash rather than card. We are training staff and want to try cash transactions," which was off-putting.

Local U.S. residents did not understand this. Some complained, saying, "The owner didn't train the staff and left the cashier in charge," or called to complain, "The rice in the kimbap was undercooked and hard." Of course, there is no obligation to understand any inconvenience caused by the filming of "Eojjeoda Sajang 3" to the local residents.

[Image source=tvN 'Eojjeoda Sjang 3' screen capture]

Eventually, problems erupted. The careless attitude repeated in the kitchen, leading to hygiene controversies. The local supermarket is famous as a 'kimbap hotspot,' selling hundreds of kimbap rolls daily. The "Eojjeoda Sajang 3" team could not have been unaware of this, and even if they were unaware during the local scouting process, that would be problematic. The owner likely requested kimbap sales and shared information about the local atmosphere and regular customers. It was predictable that the kimbap section would be busy. Yet, they were only hurriedly preparing ingredients without any proper preparation.

The production team must have known that local residents would be inconvenienced. Their attitude, prioritizing entertainment value over residents' comfort, is regrettable. The customers visiting a rural village and those visiting an American supermarket differ in culture and lifestyle. This is evident from the atmosphere where customers joke sharply at the cashier, saying, "I will report this to the owner," or complain about "undercooked rice in the kimbap."

The kimbap-making process was poor, sparking hygiene concerns. None of the cast members wore masks while making kimbap or other food. They did not even wear the transparent 'mouth covers' commonly used in variety shows. Jo In-sung wore a hair covering, but other cast members did not cover their hair and moved between the counter, kitchen, and kimbap preparation area in a disorderly manner. They talked loudly, laughed, sighed while making kimbap, and even sang while picking up ingredients and kimbap with their hands. It is hard to believe this was filmed in 2023.

How unpleasant must it have been for kimbap buyers watching the broadcast? Did they just laugh it off because it was 'kimbap made by celebrities'?

[Image source=tvN 'Eojjeoda Sajang 3' screen capture]

"'Eojjeoda Sajang 3' operated both a restaurant and a kimbap counter, so attention to hygiene management was necessary. However, there were shortcomings such as insufficient mask-wearing, which caused concern among viewers. We sincerely apologize and acknowledge that this was entirely the production team's fault."

"The program was entirely filmed in the U.S., and we made efforts to strictly comply with local complex hygiene regulations and related laws. However, we now think that we may have overlooked basic aspects during this process."

- Official statement from tvN "Eojjeoda Sajang 3" production team

[Image source=tvN 'Eojjeoda Sajang 3' screen capture]

As the controversy grew, the production team issued this statement. Their explanation that they complied with local hygiene regulations and laws is unconvincing. It is common sense, even for elementary school students, to cover the mouth and hair when preparing food and to avoid talking to prevent saliva from spreading. Experienced variety show professionals could not have been unaware of this. It should have been fully considered during the preparation process in Korea as well.

Are celebrities' 'faces' more important than 'hygiene' or 'health safety'? If so, it might have been better to do a different variety show.

tvN's variety show "Kong Simeun De Kong Nago Pat Simeun De Pat Nanda" (hereafter "Kong Kong Pat Pat") reflects the original spirit of "Eojjeoda Sajang." It features close celebrity friends?actors Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Woo-bin, Do Kyung-soo (EXO D.O.), and Kim Ki-bang?challenging farming together. The show was created after they expressed a desire to do a variety show together to producer Na Young-seok, resulting in a relaxed and candid atmosphere.

City bachelors who have never touched soil before try farming. They are curious about how to prepare the land, what to plant, and how to water and nurture crops. They search for information online and seek help from locals to cultivate the fields. There is no special concept; it is simply a farming variety show. Like friends visiting a weekend farm, they occasionally go to the field to water and care for crops and plant more if needed.

[Image source=tvN 'Kongkongpatpat' screen capture]

When mealtime comes, they eat at local village restaurants. These 'city bumpkins' repeatedly express amazement while eating mostly Korean food at local eateries. They say things like, "Let's definitely come back here," and "Try this, it's insanely good," devouring the food enthusiastically. Sometimes, they cook with perilla leaves and eggplants harvested from the field. They brew tea with freshly picked peppermint leaves or make mojitos with perilla leaves to serve to locals.

Pulling out weeds that suddenly grew overnight also brings laughter. The novice farmers did not know how to manage weeds. Since neglecting them could harm neighboring fields, they hurriedly pulled out weeds. They battled nature, whether it rained or was hot, while cultivating the fields. They cheered loudly when they saw the fields turning green.

"Kong Kong Pat Pat" is a 'chemical-free healing variety show,' as the program claims. As seen in the running subtitles reminiscent of "Human Theater," it adopts a documentary style about novice farmers. The 'variety show expert' Lee Kwang-soo skillfully balances humor and pacing. The natural appearances of actors Do Kyung-soo and Kim Woo-bin are refreshing, and Kim Ki-bang's presence also contributes.

It has gained popularity as a variety show that can be watched casually like a YouTube vlog. Producer Na Young-seok said, "There are many intense variety shows these days, but ours is a relaxed, mild flavor. Our show fits well with the phrase 'meal friends.' Even if many people don't get excited, they can relate to it comfortably." This intention has resonated.

[Image source=tvN 'Kongkongpatpat' screen capture]

Of course, "Kong Kong Pat Pat" could easily be called "Accidental Farmers." City bachelors who have never touched soil become accidental farmers and experience the joy of harvest. They realize how precious their 'own children'?the crops grown in the field?are and appreciate their value.

"Kong Kong Pat Pat" might one day lose its way like "Eojjeoda Sajang 3." Therefore, it would be good to take it as a lesson. We want to continue watching the lovable activities of the four novice farmers?Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Woo-bin, Kim Ki-bang, and Do Kyung-soo?and their unprocessed, genuine 'mukbang' (eating broadcasts) filled with positive vibes and green fields.