On MBC‘s ‘I Live Alone’, baseball player Kwak Do-gyu endlessly showed off the wild charm of an ‘MZ tiger’ who enjoys hip-hop, fashion, and writing. Not only did he show the epitome of meticulousness, but he also caught attention with his self-control as a baseball player who constantly manages himself.

On the MBC ‘I Live Alone’ (directed by Heo Hang, Kang Ji-hee, Park Soo-bin, Lee Kyung-eun, and Moon Ki-young) broadcast on the 20th, the daily life of baseball player Kwak Do-gyu, the first protagonist of the ‘Hey! Rainbow, I Can Do It Alone’ special, and the appearance of Koo Sung-hwan on a trip to Hong Kong for the first time in 23 years were revealed.

According to Nielsen Korea, a viewership survey company, on the 21st, the household viewership ratings for the ‘I Live Alone’ broadcast the previous day recorded 7.0% in the metropolitan area, ranking first in the same time slot and first among Friday entertainment programs. Also, in the key 2049 viewership ratings, which are a major indicator for advertisers and measure channel competitiveness, it recorded 3.3% (based on the metropolitan area), taking first place in the same time slot and first place among Friday entertainment programs.

The best minute was the scene (23:59) where Kwak Do-gyu, his teammates Lee Eui-ri and Yoon Young-cheol have a meat party at their regular restaurant. The ‘left-handed pitcher trio’,’, who have many similarities, surprised viewers by eating only meat, starting with odoldoel (pork bone), without any carbonated drinks or side dishes. As a result, the viewership ratings soared to a high of 8.2%.

Kwak Do-gyu captivated viewers’ attention with his unbelievable charm that made it hard to believe he‘s only been living alone for two years. Everyone was amazed by his neatly decorated studio with his favorite things and the way he meticulously cleans and uses his time efficiently as if it were his nature.

Kwak Do-gyu, who wears his headphones askew and enjoys listening to old-school hip-hop music, shyly shows his fandom in front of Code Kunst, keeps cash in the freezer, studies English in his spare time, and is serious about fashion to the point of changing his clothes three times a day. He was the very definition of a ‘new MZ’, showing his own solid taste and style.

Kwak Do-gyu also showed thorough self-management in his daily life as a baseball player. He wrote with his right hand to manage his mental health, and he has been analyzing game data and organizing a journal for 6 years, showing amazing self-control and self-restraint for his condition on the mound.



Jun Hyun-moo was surprised and said, “He’s such a gentleman,” Code Kunst was surprised and said, “He‘s someone with a strong inner self,” and Kian84 was captivated by his unexpected charm, saying, “He seems to be the calmest of all the 20-somethings I’ve met.” Kwak Do-gyu‘s determination and ambition to run forward to become a better person have raised expectations for his future.

In addition, Koo Sung-hwan’s appearance on a 2-day, 1-night trip to Hong Kong for the first time in 23 years was also revealed. Koo Seong-hwan, who revealed that he traveled to Hong Kong with his family, carrying a camcorder, at the age of 21, made everyone laugh with his deadly visuals in the ‘Hong Kong travel vlog(?)’ that he filmed himself.

Koo Seong-hwan took out a schedule full of his 2-day and 1-night Hong Kong trip itinerary and a ballpoint pen, drawing attention by creating a schedule reminiscent of a package tour, saying, “It‘s scary when you get lost in an unfamiliar place.”Koo Seong-hwan first arrived at ‘Temple Street’, Hong Kong’s representative night market, and bought an oversized martial arts uniform, thinking of Jet Li and Donnie Yen, to make his fantasy come true. Koo Seong-hwan, who had been fasting for 12 hours due to the record-breaking snowfall, ate spicy crab and stir-fried beef noodles for his first meal in Hong Kong, enjoying the romance and cinematic mise-en-scène of Hong Kong.’Koo Seong-hwan headed to a park full of Hong Kong martial artists early in the morning to stick to his exercise routine on the second day of his trip. He transformed into ‘Baby Glow Guy(?)’ and updated another fatal legendary meme. The locals couldn‘t take their eyes off his passionate CrossFit that reminded them of ‘Kung Fu Panda’. He then burst into even more energy and made everyone burst into laughter with ‘Bottom-up pushups’.

Ko Sung-hwan, who then began a full-fledged culinary journey following in the footsteps of his Hong Kong acting brothers who helped him dream of becoming an actor, transformed into ‘Ko Sung-wai(?)’, paying homage to his role model, Wong Jo-wai, wearing a sleeveless top, a floral blouse, and sunglasses. He heads to the Hong Kong ferry pier to visit a famous egg tart restaurant, and anticipation is rising for what kind of taste of Hong Kong he will show.

Next week, the second part of Koo Seong-hwan’s Hong Kong trip, which will properly show the taste of Hong Kong, and Jeon Hyun-moo‘s last impromptu trip in 2024 will be previewed, raising curiosity.

Choi Yoon-na, Donga.com reporter yyynnn@donga.com