MBC's 'Choi Woo Soo San' Aims to Surpass Rivals 'Running Man' and '2 Days & 1 Night'

MBC's new variety show 'Choi Woo Soo San' is set to compete with SBS's 'Running Man' and KBS2's '2 Days & 1 Night Season 4' in the same time slot. This show follows the recently concluded 'Manito Club,' which ended with a low rating of 0.9% last month.

On April 28, a production presentation for 'Choi Woo Soo San' was held at the MBC Golden Mouse Hall in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Attendees included Yoo Se-yoon, Jang Dong-min, Heo Kyung-hwan, Boom, Yang Se-hyung, and PD Kim Myung-yeop.

'Choi Woo Soo San' is the first-ever mountain variety show in Korea, where participants complete missions in the mountains to collect acorns and compete to reach the summit. The show features a lineup of veteran comedians, including Yoo Se-yoon, the 2025 MBC Entertainment Awards Best Male Entertainer winner, and the so-called 'losers' Jang Dong-min, Boom, Yang Se-hyung, and Heo Kyung-hwan.

During the event, questions arose about why Heo Kyung-hwan was cast instead of HaHa, the actual Best Entertainer awardee. PD Kim explained, "We needed someone like Dex from 'Born to Explore the World.' Heo Kyung-hwan is handsome and cool. If we had to compare, he fits the Dex role in our program."

Regarding the show's planning, PD Kim stated, "The concept started from Yoo Se-yoon's 'loser' incident. We didn't initially plan to go to the mountains. With the cast's combined experience nearing 100 years, we brainstormed on what they hadn't done before, and the idea gradually led us to the mountains. Once we got there, it wasn't bad, so we decided to proceed."

On HaHa's absence, Kim explained, "We wanted HaHa to join, but since 'Running Man' airs at the same time, it was difficult for him to participate."

Questions about the target ratings were also raised. PD Kim said, "Recently, 'Running Man' and '2 Days & 1 Night' have a 2049 rating of about 2%. Our goal is to surpass that, and achieving that number is crucial for 'Choi Woo Soo San' to become a regular program."

Yang Se-hyung asked, "If our pilot, which runs for five episodes, surpasses 2% even once, does that mean we get a regular slot?" Boom added humorously, "We have a Plan B. If 'Choi Woo Soo San' doesn't meet our expectations, we'll switch to 'Choi Woo Soo San' (meaning 'fishing') and head to the sea. We're ready for the sea version."

Jang Dong-min commented, "'Choi Woo Soo San' teaches that there's joy after hardship. Reaching the summit offers an experience like no other. We aim to convey that to viewers, showing them places in Korea they might not have known existed. The uniqueness lies in the reward after the struggle."

PD Kim highlighted the show's key points, "The most important aspect was considering what would be entertaining from the viewers' perspective. Personally, I find it most fun when celebrities endure hardships on TV." He added, "This time, we tackle the Baekmudong course of Jirisan, a representative mountain in Korea, reaching Cheonwangbong at 1915 meters above sea level. It's a program that combines entertainment with authenticity and challenges, so we hope viewers enjoy it."

Kim expressed satisfaction with the cast, "Having worked on 'Radio Star' for a long time, meeting countless entertainers, I believe the essence of variety shows is laughter. Comedians and entertainers excel at this. Despite the variety of shows available, viewers prefer those that offer easy laughter. I wanted to create such a program, leading to this cast."

'Choi Woo Soo San' premieres on May 3 at 6 PM on MBC.

Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr